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For years, the gambling industry’s investment story was built on a simple promise: more betting would mean more growth. That story is now becoming harder to sell.
Entain’s removal from the FTSE 100 is a telling sign of what has happened to gambling stocks across both Europe and the US in recent years. The company’s shares have fallen sharply over the past year, even as its first-half results showed continued growth in several important markets.
In the six months to June, Entain’s online net gaming revenue rose 7% in constant currency. Revenue in Britain and Ireland increased 13%, while the company maintained its full-year guidance for online net gaming revenue growth of 5% to 7%. So why is its stock price still so under pressure?
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Stella David, Entain’s CEO, called for the government to move ahead with the ban immediately, arguing clubs were already aware of the planned changes.
“Premier League clubs that have struck new deals with unlicensed gambling operators knew the risks,” she said. “The government made clear in February that it would bring in a ban and it should do so immediately: even if that means clubs ordering new kit mid-season.
“Inconvenience is not an excuse for inaction.”
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One such rule was for licensees that had faced compliance enforcement during the five years operating in the Netherlands.
At the time KSA announced: “Providers that made mistakes in the past five years must explain during the application process how they have learned from previous mistakes and how they intend to prevent recurrence. If we find this explanation insufficient, the permit may be denied or additional conditions and restrictions may be imposed.”
This requirement raised concerns among operators worried that the barriers to entry could have become more restrictive, But at a meeting on the policies last year the regulator assured licensees it was not enforcing a specific strict rule on this.
