The boss of Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, warned that the FTSE 100 company will have to close betting shops and divert investment to other markets if the chancellor raises gambling taxes in next month’s budget.
In her first interview since becoming permanent chief executive in April, Stella David said higher taxes on the gambling sector would force Entain “to consider its investment level in the UK”. She added that there was “no doubt” the company would also need to review, “depending on the level of where the increases were, shop closures” across its estate of about 2,300 UK high street betting shops.
