Entain Set to Axe 400 Jobs In Latest Industry Turmoil

Entain, the owner of Coral, Ladbrokes and other major brands in UK betting, has revealed that it could axe 400 jobs in its latest round of cost-cutting measures.

The giant had already pledged to cut 500 jobs from its global operations earlier in the summer, revealing the extent of the challenge facing even the biggest of operators in the current environment.

The redundancies bring the total number of jobs lost from the sector in 2026 to more than 3,500… although the Betting and Gaming Council has claimed, albeit unverified, that the number is actually more likely to be closer to 10,000.

Gambling Tax Hike Fallout

Although not expressly mentioned, the Gambling Tax increases – the first of which was rolled out in April, with the second coming next April – were part of the ‘challenging operating environment’ cited by Entain CEO, Stella David.

“The proposed changes are being made to ensure our business remains competitive, financially resilient and well positioned for the future as our sector faces an increasingly challenging operating environment,” she commented.

Entain have launched a consultation that could see 400 jobs from its customer support division, which make up around 20% of the department, lost. Those roles are based in the UK and in countries including Brazil, Ireland, India and Spain.

Back in July, the company confirmed that 500 jobs across their product technology and corporate divisions would also be cut.

Gambling Sector Job Losses

Although the exact number isn’t known, we do know that more than 3,500 jobs have been lost in the gambling sector this year based on publicly available information.

As we’ve learned, some 900 roles have been scrapped by Entain alone, although not all of those are in the UK specifically.

Otherwise, many of the industry’s leading players have made mass cutbacks already this year:

• Bet365 cut 300 UK jobs and 40 more internationally
• Evoke have closed 270 betting shops; a loss of around 1,000 jobs
• Betfred will close 132 shops; causing 600 job losses
• Paddy Power have closed around 150 shops; some 500 or so jobs lost

And those are just the numbers that have been made public. There’s a sense that the actual figure could be a lot higher, with the Betting and Gaming Council quoting around 10,000 – that seems excessive based on the evidence, but the trade body has their own sources to quote from.

Either way, it’s a troubling downward trend for a sector that appears to be in terminal decline – with no rainbow on the horizon with the current government in charge.

Machine Games Duty Overhaul

It was the Autumn Budget of 2025, announced by the former chancellor Rachel Reeves in November, that did much of the damage that has led to the mass redundancies.

And it could be the very same budget, scheduled for publication this November, that could send further shockwaves through the industry.

John Healey, Reeves’ replacement as chancellor, is thought to be considering a hike in Machine Games Duty (MGD), which is collected on the gambling machines found in betting shops, bingo halls, Adult Gaming Centres and other venues.

Some reports suggest that Healey, at the behest of the Prime Minister, could be plotting a doubling of MGD from the current rate of 20% to a whopping 40%.

Livelihoods at Stake

If he does, it could make betting shops in particular even less financially viable… with more job losses inevitable.

Entain chief David said of the speculation: “Fewer viable shops would therefore have consequences not only for our own colleagues and high streets, but for jobs and livelihoods.

“I hope that, before any decision is taken on MGD, the government will look beyond the headline tax rate and consider the real-world consequences for the people whose livelihoods depend on these businesses and the communities in which they operate.”