Statement Regarding UK Gambling Tax Increases

(LSE: ENT) Entain plc issued a statement regarding the UK Government’s Budget decision to further increase UK gambling taxes. The company expressed disappointment at the decision, stating that the latest rise in gambling tax will have a detrimental impact on the wider industry, UK high streets, jobs, and livelihoods, compounding pressures already faced since the tax increases announced in November 2025. As a result of the changes to UK Machine Gaming Duty (MGD), Entain estimates an annualised additional cost to its UK&I Retail business of approximately £25m before any mitigating measures. The MGD charged on Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) generated from type 2 gaming machines in Entain’s retail shops will increase from 20% to 25% from 1 April 2027. Entain operates what it describes as the strongest offering on the UK High Street and anticipates an opportunity for customer recapture as peers re-evaluate their UK market presence. The company expects to fully mitigate the impact of this latest tax increase by the end of 2028 through a combination of estate rationalisation, Group-wide optimisation initiatives, and potential market share gains. Entain’s FY26 guidance and its expectation of generating £500m annual adjusted cashflow in 2028 both remain unchanged. The company will continue to take decisive actions to navigate and mitigate the impact of these additional taxes. CEO Stella David commented that the previous gambling tax increases announced in November last year have already had detrimental consequences across the industry, affecting employees, communities, and customers, and that these additional tax changes will further compound that damage and push more people into the illegal market. She stated that Entain’s priority is to protect jobs wherever possible while supporting a sustainable retail presence on UK high streets. The company’s strong fundamentals, disciplined focus on growth and optimisation, and diverse, globally scaled portfolio are cited as supporting its confidence in delivering strong future cash generation.

Phased exit of Entain CEE - 20% divestment agreed

(LSE: ENT) Entain plc has agreed to sell a 20% interest in Entain Holdings (CEE) Ltd. to its joint venture partner EMMA Capital for a total cash consideration of approximately €425 million (c£366m), comprising €395m (c£341m) payable on completion and an additional payment in early 2027 to reflect FY26 financial performance. The transaction implies an enterprise value for Entain CEE of €2.1 billion (£1.9bn) and a c10x EBITDA multiple. Entain CEE, consisting of STS in Poland and SuperSport in Croatia, delivered FY25 NGR of £522m (+7% YoY) and EBITDA of £184m (+7% YoY). Upon completion, Entain's shareholding in Entain CEE will decrease from 67.5% to 47.5%, with EMMA increasing its shareholding from 22.5% to 42.5%, and the Juroszek family maintaining their 10.0% shareholding. Net proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce Entain's outstanding debt, with an expected c£20m annualised interest saving. The company projects FY26 Online NGR growth of 5-7% in constant currency, an Online EBITDA margin of 21-22%, and to generate c£500m of annual adjusted cashflow in 2028.

Issuance of Shares

(LSE: ENT) Entain plc announced the issuance of 95 ordinary shares of €0.01 each for the purposes of satisfying the vesting of awards under the Company's Sharesave Plan. These shares have been admitted to trading under the Company's existing block admissions of Shares dated 17 December 2024. The period of return for this issuance is from 31 March 2026 to 31 May 2026. The total number of Shares in issue and admitted to trading following this issuance is 95. The shares have been admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) with identification code IM00B5VQMV65. Entain plc operates the TAB NZ brand as part of a long-term strategic partnership with TAB New Zealand and has a 50/50 joint venture, BetMGM, in the US. The Group is AAA rated by MSCI, a member of the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook and the FTSE4Good.

Board Appointment

(LSE: ENT) Entain plc announces the appointment of Sheila Bangalore as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company with immediate effect. Sheila Bangalore has over 20 years of experience in the global gaming, hospitality and technology sectors and has held executive roles at international organisations, including Bally Technologies Inc., Aristocrat Technologies Inc., MP Materials Corporation, and has recently served on the board of Games Global Limited. Sheila is currently a Non-Executive Director of Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: AENT). The Group operates the TAB NZ brand as part of a long-term strategic partnership with TAB New Zealand. The Group has a 50/50 joint venture, BetMGM, a leader in sports betting and iGaming in the US. Entain is AAA rated by MSCI, and is a member of the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook and the FTSE4Good.