427.00am 08 August 2024
Entain
plc
("Entain" or the "Group")
H1 outperformance supported
by improving operational execution; FY24 guidance
upgraded
Entain plc (LSE: ENT), the global
sports betting and gaming group, today reports
Interim Results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2024
("H1").
· Total Group Net Gaming
Revenue ("NGR"), including 50%
share of BetMGM, up +6%, +8%cc2,
and 0%cc2 on a proforma3 basis
o Online NGR (excluding US) up +9%,
+11%cc2, +1%cc2 proforma3
· H1 results
reflect underlying Q2 outperformance and stronger
than expected win margins for Euros
o H1 Group
EBITDA4
at £524m, up +5% vs prior year
· Improving underlying
growth: Online NGR
proforma3 performance improved from Q1 -2%cc2
YoY to Q2 +5%cc2 YoY (flat prior to start of Euros),
with Brazil delivering +28%cc2 growth in H1
· Margin
expansion: further Project Romer
efficiencies identified, increasing net savings target to £100m for
2026 (from £70m)
· BetMGM accelerating
performance in year of investment: delivering sequential quarterly revenue growth and
stabilising market share, ahead of further
expected investment in H2
· Appointment of new
CEO: Gavin Isaacs joining on 2
September 2024, with leadership continuity as Stella David succeeds
as Chair from 30 September 2024
· FY24 guidance
upgraded: stronger than
expected Q2 and revised regulatory implementation timing
o Expect low single-digit positive2
proforma3 growth in Online NGR (from low single-digit
negative)
o Group EBITDA4 expected to be in the range of
£1,040m-£1,090m
Stella David, Interim CEO & Chair Designate,
commented:
"Entain's H1 results are clear
evidence that our hard work improving the Group's operational
performance is bearing fruit. Whilst there is more work to do, we
are pleased with the progress so far and look forward to building
further on these solid foundations in H2 and beyond.
Our focused execution underpins
the Group's performance so far this year, and we are excited by the
opportunities ahead. I look forward to welcoming Gavin Isaacs as
our new Chief Executive Officer and supporting him as we continue
to build on the Group's improving operational momentum."
H1 2024 Trading
performance:
|
Net Gaming Revenue
(NGR)
|
|
|
Q1
|
Q2
|
H1
|
|
YoY
Rpt1
|
YoY
cc2
Proforma3
|
YoY
Rpt1
|
YoY
cc2
Proforma3
|
YoY
Rpt1
|
YoY
cc2
Proforma3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UK & Ireland
|
(7%)
|
(7%)
|
(5%)
|
(5%)
|
(6%)
|
(6%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
International
|
4%
|
(2%)
|
10%
|
7%
|
7%
|
3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CEE5
|
124%
|
11%
|
127%
|
13%
|
126%
|
12%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Group (ex US)
|
4%
|
(3%)
|
8%
|
2%
|
6%
|
0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Online
|
7%
|
(2%)
|
12%
|
5%
|
9%
|
1%
|
|
Total Retail
|
(1%)
|
(6%)
|
2%
|
(2%)
|
1%
|
(4%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Group inc
50% of BetMGM
|
3%
|
(3%)
|
8%
|
3%
|
6%
|
0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior year performance displayed
in new reporting structure available at:
https://entaingroup.com/investor-relations/results-centre/
H1 performance
highlights
· Total Group NGR including 50% share of
BetMGM1, up +6%,
+8%cc2, and 0%cc2 on a proforma3 basis
o Group NGR (exc. US) up +6%, +8%cc2,
0%cc2 proforma3
o Online NGR (exc. US) up +9%, +11%cc2, +1%cc2 proforma3,
with active customers +13% proforma3
· UK
& Ireland NGR down -6%cc2, in line with
expectations
o UK&I Online -8%cc2
reflects prior year comparative regulatory
headwinds, partially offset by improving player KPI's driven by
product and offering enhancements including greater
simplification of our player journeys
§ Actives
up +12% YoY and year-to-date stabilisation in spend per
head
o UK&I Retail -4%cc2, in line with expectations, ahead
of our next generation gaming cabinet rollout which completes in
Q3
· International NGR was up +10%cc2,
+3%cc2 on a proforma3 basis
o Brazil delivered strong double-digit revenue growth ahead of
schedule, with H1 NGR +28%cc2
o Australia returned to flat2 year on year for H1
NGR, despite softness in underlying market
o Italy -3%cc2 (Online
-3%cc2, Retail
-4%cc2) with customer-friendly Q1 sports margins offsetting volume
growth
· Entain CEE5 continued to perform well with NGR
+12%cc2 proforma3 with SuperSport in Croatia performing particularly strongly
at +17%cc2 YoY
· BetMGM delivered accelerating net
revenue momentum through H1 and stabilising 13%6 market
share
o Q2
NGR up +9%cc2 YoY and up +4%cc2 on Q1 driven
by strong acquisition and retention metrics with improving app and
product capabilities and successful engagement campaigns
o Encouraging results from Angstrom-powered MLB and NBA
offerings; expansion into NFL offering expected ahead of 2024
season
o Reinforcing iGaming strength with expected marketing
investment in H2
H1 financial
highlights
· Group EBITDA4 at £524m, up 5% vs 2023; Online
EBITDA4 £445m, +9%, Retail EBITDA4 £140m,
-11%
· Group loss after tax was £47m
· Proposed interim dividend of 9.3p per share, +5% year on
year
· Successful repricing of term loan debt and equivalent £600m
add on
· Robust balance sheet with net debt of £3,329m and available
cash of >£1.3bn, at 30 June 2024
· Project Romer efficiency programme progressing well,
increasing annual net savings target to £100m in 2026
· FY
2024 Group EBITDA4 expected to be in the range of
£1,040m to £1,090m
o Reflecting uplift from stronger than expected Q2 NGR
performance, revised timing of regulatory implementation in Brazil
and the Netherlands, offset by FX headwinds
H1 summary: 1 January to 30 June 2024
Total Group (ex US)
|
Reported1
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
CC2
|
Six months to 30 June
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
%
|
Net gaming revenue (NGR)
|
2,555.7
|
2,404.3
|
6%
|
8%
|
Revenue
|
2,520.3
|
2,377.6
|
6%
|
8%
|
Gross profit
|
1,534.6
|
1,457.7
|
5%
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA4
|
523.8
|
499.4
|
5%
|
|
Underlying operating
profit7
|
287.9
|
307.4
|
(6%)
|
|
Underlying profit before
tax7
|
248.8
|
287.6
|
(13%)
|
|
Loss after tax
|
(46.9)
|
(502.5)
|
|
|
Continuing diluted EPS
(p)
|
(6.8)
|
(83.9)
|
|
|
Continuing adjusted diluted
EPS8 (p)
|
12.4
|
21.6
|
|
|
Continuing adjusted diluted
EPS8 exc. US (p)
|
21.0
|
29.7
|
|
|
Dividend per share (p)
|
9.3
|
8.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital Allocation Committee
As per announcement on 21 May
2024, the Capital Allocation Committee ("CapCo") concluded that
Crystalbet is non-core to the Group and as such strategic
alternatives would be considered. This review process is underway
and updates will be announced as appropriate in due
course.
The CapCo will continue to
regularly review the Group's strategic progress including
significant aspects of capital commitments, with ongoing
consideration to maximise shareholder value.
Appointment of CEO and Chair transition
As announced on 22 July 2024,
Gavin Isaacs has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer,
effective on 2 September 2024. To ensure an orderly transition,
Stella David will succeed Barry Gibson as Chair on 30 September
2024.
Dividend
In line with the Group's
progressive dividend policy, the Board has proposed an interim
dividend of c£60m (9.3p per share), a 5% year on year increase per
share. The interim dividend in respect of the H1 2024 results is
expected to be paid in September 2024 to shareholders on register
on 16 August 2024.
Outlook
Entain's performance in the first
half of 2024 demonstrates our improving underlying growth and the
clear progress made against our strategic priorities.
As we look to the remainder of 2024, our
expectations for the Group's growth pathway remains unchanged, with
the stronger than expected Q2 performance driving our upgraded NGR
guidance. We now expect FY24 Online NGR growth on a
proforma3 basis to be low
single digit positive2, with the Group delivering
FY24 EBITDA4 in the range of £1,040m to
£1,090m. Building on the progress already
made, we are confident that continued execution of our strategic
priorities of organic growth, margin expansion and winning in the
US will deliver value for all our stakeholders.
Notes
(1) H1 2024
reported numbers are unaudited and relate to continuing
operations
(2) Growth on a
constant currency basis is calculated by translating both current
and prior year performance at the 2024 exchange rates
(3)
Proforma references include all 2023 acquisitions
as if they had been part of the Group since 1 January
2023
(4) EBITDA is
defined as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation, share based payments and share of JV income. EBITDA
is stated pre-separately disclosed items
(5) Entain CEE
consists of our businesses in Croatia (SuperSport) & Poland
(STS)
(6) Consolidated
GGR market share consists of last three months ending May or June
2024 (as latest reported) for U.S. sports betting markets where
BetMGM was active (online and retail), last three months ending
June 2024 for U.S. iGaming markets where BetMGM was active, and
last three months ending June 2024 for the Ontario market. Internal
estimates used where operator specific results are
unavailable
(7)
Stated pre separately disclosed items
(8) Adjusted for the impact
of separately disclosed items, foreign exchange movements on
financial indebtedness and losses/gains on derivative financial
instruments (see note 8 in the interim financial
statements)
Presentation and webcast
Entain will host a 2024 Interim
Results presentation and Q&A session today, Thursday
8th August at 9:30am BST, at: etc.venues, 200 Aldersgate
St, Barbican, London EC1A 4HD.
Analysts and investors may attend
in person, having pre-registered via the in-person
registration link.
Alternatively join the webcast approximately 15
minutes ahead of the event: online
webcast link.
The presentation slides as well as
a replay and transcript will be available on our
website:
https://entaingroup.com/investor-relations/results-centre/
Dividend
Timetable
Announcement
date: 08
August 2024
Ex-Dividend date
15 August 2024
Record
date:
16 August 2024
Payment
date:
20 September 2024
Forward-looking statements
This document contains certain
statements that are forward-looking statements. They appear in a
number of places throughout this document and include statements
regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations and those
of our officers, Directors and employees concerning, amongst other
things, results of our operations, financial condition, liquidity,
prospects, growth, strategies and the business we operate. These
forward-looking statements include all matters that are not
historical facts. By their nature, these statements involve risks
and uncertainties since future events and circumstances can cause
results and developments to differ materially from those
anticipated. Any such forward-looking statements reflect knowledge
and information available at the date of preparation of this
document. Other than in accordance with its legal or regulatory
obligations (including under the Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014)
as it forms part of English law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018, the Listing Rules, the Disclosure Guidance
and Transparency Rules and the Prospectus Rules), the Company
undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such
forward-looking statements. Nothing in this document should be
construed as a profit forecast. The Company and its Directors
accept no liability to third parties in respect of this document
save as would arise under English law.
About Entain plc
Entain plc (LSE: ENT) is a FTSE100
company and is one of the world's largest sports betting and gaming
groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group
owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports brands
include BetCity, bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds,
Sportingbet, Sports Interaction, STS, SuperSport and TAB NZ; Gaming
brands include Foxy Bingo, Gala, GiocoDigitale, Ninja Casino,
Optibet, Partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary
technology across all its core product verticals and in addition to
its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party
customers on a B2B basis.
The Group has a 50/50 joint
venture, BetMGM, a leader in sports betting and iGaming in the US.
Entain provides the technology and capabilities which power BetMGM
as well as exclusive games and products, specially developed at its
in-house gaming studios. The Group is tax resident in the UK and is
the only global operator to exclusively operate in domestically
regulated or regulating markets operating in over 30
territories.
Entain is a leader in ESG, a
member of FTSE4Good, the DJSI and is AA rated by MSCI. For more
information see the Group's website: www.entaingroup.com.
LEI: 213800GNI3K45LQR8L28
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S REVIEW
Entain is a leading player in
sports betting and gaming, a global industry with attractive
dynamics and structural growth. We are proud to be the most
diversified leader of scale in our sector, only operating in
regulated or regulating markets. Our trusted brands, leading market
positions and increasingly localised offerings are supported by our
scaled in-house technology and product capabilities. Entain is
focused on delivering our customers a great player experience with
engaging products and content, underpinned by leading player
protection measures. We have a clear strategy to deliver value to
all our stakeholders through focused execution towards our
strategic priorities:
•
Drive organic growth
•
Expand online margins
•
Empower growth in US
As Interim CEO, I have led the
Group through the first half of this year, and the business has not
been treading water. We have clear targets; we have been laser
focused on execution and delivering the brilliant basics that drive
customer acquisition and retention; and I'm delighted with the
progress achieved so far. Our H1 results demonstrate that our
operational transformation is bearing fruit, rebuilding our growth
momentum and returning our business to its winning ways.
There is still a lot of hard work
to do in the second half of 2024 and beyond, and this also presents
us many exciting opportunities ahead to capture. I am passing the
CEO baton to Gavin Isaacs with strong building blocks in place for
him to lead the business through its next phase. His leadership
will see the ongoing execution of our refocused strategy,
accelerating our pathway to operational excellence and returning
the business to its leadership position. I am very much looking
forward to working with Gavin as I take on the role of Chair,
succeeding Barry Gibson on his retirement at the end of
September.
H1 2024
performance
The Group ended the first half of
2024 ahead of expectations, with Total Group NGR including our 50%
share of BetMGM up +6%
reported1 and 0%cc2 on a
proforma3 basis. Excluding BetMGM, Group NGR
was also up +6% (+8%cc2), and
0%cc2 proforma3. The Group's Online and Retail
operations both performed in line or better than our expectations
during the first half of 2024, delivering Group EBITDA4
of £524m, up +5% year on year.
Our first half of 2024 performance
was delivered by focused execution driving improving underlying
growth across our business, as well as benefiting from stronger
than expected margins in the UEFA Euros tournament. Reported Online
NGR (ex US) was up 11%cc2 versus the prior year
reflecting our improving operational performance, stronger than
expected Q2 sports margins, as well as the benefit from last year's
acquisition of STS and our partnership with TAB NZ. On a
proforma3 basis Online NGR was +1%cc2 year on
year.
Our H1
performance demonstrates the progress achieved so far towards our
strategic priorities.
Drive Organic Growth
Since November 2023, our portfolio
has been refocused, prioritising growth and returns. Customer
acquisition and retention have been central to our approach in
rebuilding our brilliant basics, as these are critical to driving
organic growth. As reflected in our strong growth in actives, we
continue to attract customers with our trusted brands. We are
working hard, reinvigorating our acquisition channels, accelerating
our product delivery, whilst boosting retention with our improving
offering and customer experience. By simplifying customer journeys,
localising our offering and streamlining app experiences, coupled
with more effective marketing, we are confident in driving future
growth. In two of our "must win" markets, UK & Brazil, we are
seeing evidence that these actions are bearing fruit and we are
excited for the many opportunities ahead as we deliver our pipeline
of initiatives towards our ambition of operational
excellence.
UK & Ireland
The UK&I is Entain's largest
market. As such, it is critical to our strategic success and Group
performance that we return our UK&I business back to its
winning ways. In H1, UK&I NGR was down -6%cc2 year
on year as expected. Our UK&I Online performance in H1
(-8%cc2), reflects the complexity of our prior year
regulatory implementations on our customers' experience. We have
been laser focused in addressing this without compromising our
player protection. It is encouraging to see green shoots of
improvement, evidencing that the ongoing simplification of our
player journeys is yielding results. With spend per head now
stabilising and H1 UK Online NGR up +2% on H2 2023 we have
increased confidence in our UK Online business returning to organic
growth by the end of this year. As well as improving our UK
offering and experience, we continue to engage customers with
innovative marketing such as Foxy's recent "Moedown" campaign. The
introduction of Ladbrokes Bucks and Coral Coins have landed well
and we have a strong pipeline of in-house and exclusive games
throughout this year. Our Sportsbook enhancements to UX, design and
app speed are delivering improved experiences for our players, and
there's more to come in H2 including our improved Betbuilder sports
product.
The UK&I is an omni-channel
market which brings many opportunities. As part of our business
structure realignment, we combined the management of Online and
Retail in the UK&I. The UK&I retail estate continues to
perform well across both sports and gaming, underpinned by
exclusive and in-house content coupled with digital in-shop
experiences. In line with expectations, UK&I Retail delivered
H1 NGR -4% behind 2023 reflecting competitors' cabinet cycle, just
ahead of Entain rolling out our next generation Kascada cabinets by
August. UK&I Retail H1 NGR is up +3% compared to H2
2023.
International
Brazil is a "must win" market for
Entain. It is the fastest growing outside of the US and our
Sportingbet brand is well positioned to be successful in this
highly competitive sports betting and gaming market. Since
installing our local leadership team in 2023, we have been
refocusing our Brazil operations. We took decisive action to
realign our customer acquisition channels, payment processing and
product engagement and are seeing results. During H1 we have seen improvements in customer acquisition
and our leading in-house sports app
365Scores, acquired in July 2023, has also been a powerful channel
and complementary to our other initiatives. Alongside our
Sportingbet brand reinvigoration and refreshed creative strategy,
we shifted to open TV and digital advertising. Player experience
and product are vital to customer retention; in addition to
improving our integration of Pix to allow instant withdrawals and
deposits, we increased our local sports offering to focus on
Brazilian football and expanded our gaming portfolio with many
favourites including Aviator, a virtual crash game. The green
shoots of growth from these actions have been steadily accelerating
and we now see the business delivering strong double digit NGR
growth, with H1 Online NGR up +28%cc2. The turnaround
and rebuild of our business performance in Brazil gives us
confidence in our brand, product and offering ahead of the licenced
regime launch at the end of this year.
Australia is the largest Online
market in our International division, and during the first half of
this year delivered a strong performance, returning to flat year on
year. Despite the underlying market experiencing expected softness,
our Ladbrokes and Neds brands continue to differentiate themselves
in the highly competitive Australian market. Entain Australia's
partnership with TAB NZ continues to perform in line with
expectations, with actives up +11% year on year
proforma3. In line with plan, the business was
successfully migrated onto Entain Australia's technology platform
during Q2, and our New Zealand customers are now enjoying an
enhanced sports betting experience. Alongside leveraging our strong
Entain Australia offering we are excited by the opportunity ahead
in New Zealand including our new online-only brand "Betcha" which
launched this week.
Our business in Italy continues to
operate in a competitive market. Our H1 performance across both
Online (-3%cc2) and Retail (-4%cc2) reflects
the customer-friendly sports margins in Q1 offsetting our growth in
volumes. The growth in the underlying Italian market remains strong
and omni-channel operators continue to outperform with point of
sales touchpoints and brand recognition driving engagement across
both Online and Retail. Leveraging our
omnichannel position we continue to offer
customers new sports and gaming products. Entain remains a top tier
offering in a highly attractive market and our strong brands are well
placed to benefit from the implementation of the revised online
licensing expected at the end of this year.
Entain CEE (Croatia &
Poland)
Our Entain CEE business continues
to perform strongly in this fast growing and highly attractive
region. SuperSport in Croatia is a market leader across both Online
and Retail, performing strongly in H1 with NGR up
+17%cc2 YoY. Our Online gaming
offering has been particularly successful with NGR up
+27%cc2 as players enjoy
attractive jackpot products and reward features. STS Holdings, the
largest operator in Poland, delivered proforma3 NGR
growth of +8%cc2 during the
first half of 2024, performing well despite increased
competitive intensity.
Margin Expansion
Following the Group's phase of
rapid growth supported by M&A, we are focused on simplifying
our operating model, ensuring our business has secured strong
building blocks and structures to capitalise on growth
opportunities ahead. Our efficiency programme, Project Romer,
enables more agility in execution and more effective delivery,
unlocking efficiencies and savings. Completion of the initial
phases earlier this year gave us confidence in our pathway to
delivering approximately £70m of net cost savings in 2025. Further
progress with our initiatives now see potential for even greater
efficiencies, increasing our target of net cost savings to £100m in
2026. As well as delivering savings, these initiatives also free up
capital to reinvest back into product and player experience,
supporting further growth, building scale and increasing
operational leverage to expand our EBITDA margins. We remain on
track to deliver our target of 28% Online EBITDA margins in 2026
and towards 30% over time.
US Market Growth
Driving our growth in the US
remains a key strategic priority for Entain. BetMGM is a leading
operator in this fast growing highly competitive industry,
operating in 29 markets with access to 52% of the adult population,
including recent launches in North Carolina in March and
district-wide in the District of Columbia in July. We committed to
2024 being a year of investment for BetMGM, strengthening the
business for the future by improving our customer offering,
stepping up our investment in attracting and retaining players as
well as unlocking our unique omnichannel opportunities as we
leverage the completion of our single account single wallet
functionality across the US, subject to approval in
Nevada.
We are encouraged to see this
strategy is delivering, exceeding our internal goals for both
acquisition and retention, stabilising market share and driving
sequential quarterly revenue growth. BetMGM reported H1 net revenue
of $1.0 billion (+6%cc2), with Q2 up
+9%cc2 YoY and growth accelerating as Q2 NGR was up
+4%cc2 compared to Q1.
We have made significant
enhancements to our sportsbook during the first half of 2024. The
integration of Angstrom, Entain's specialist US-sports focused
pricing and data analytics capability, enabled BetMGM to expand its
markets and range of MLB and NBA products with our fully in-house
SGP and SGP+ offering. These enhancements have doubled volumes of
weekly MLB SGP bets with actives placing an MLB SGP bet also up 40%
versus last year. We are excited to see Angstrom's capabilities
fully integrated into our NFL offering ahead of the 2024 season, as
well as a more streamlined lobby experience and new features
including live bet tracking.
iGaming continues to be a strength
for BetMGM, with players enjoying the widest collection of online
proprietary and exclusive games. We continue to invest in our
in-house content, exclusive third-party relationships, as well as
more personalized engagement and rewards mechanics that are unique
to BetMGM. BetMGM offers the largest online jackpots, with the
current New Jersey jackpot of over $5 million, setting a record for
the largest regulated US jackpot. Reinforcing our iGaming strength
we expect to increase marketing investment during H2 of 2024 to
maximise future growth and profitability.
BetMGM is the only top-three
operator with a licenced mobile app live in Nevada and we are
excited to unlock this competitive advantage ahead of the NFL
season. Subject to regulatory approval in Nevada, this will
complete BetMGM's single wallet platform across the US. This
enables players traveling outside their home state to seamlessly
continue playing with BetMGM using their same wallet and earning
reward points. This is a unique selling proposition for BetMGM,
with MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas representing 13 million
room nights annually and a replenishing pool for new customers as
well as strong retention and reactivation mechanisms.
Supporting our improving customer
experience and product pipeline delivery is our investment in
player acquisition through best-in-class marketing partnerships
with X, Marriott Bonvoy and Associated Press. Our Super Bowl
commercial alongside our citywide takeover of Las Vegas saw
tremendous acquisition results, robust technology stability and
top-rated customer service metrics.
We are encouraged to see our
investment in BetMGM's product offering and customer experience
delivering accelerating momentum, which gives us confidence in
improving year-over-year revenue growth during H2 of 2024 and into
2025. BetMGM has a pipeline of exciting opportunities ahead,
reinforcing our conviction in BetMGM's strong future.
H1 sustainability
highlights:
Entain has a longstanding
commitment to sustainability, and it remains a key enabler
supporting our growth strategy. Our Sustainability Charter's four
pillars encapsulate the sustainability issues that are most
important to Entain, our customers, colleagues and
partners:
•
Lead on player protection
•
Provide a secure and trusted platform
•
Create an environment for everyone to do their best work
•
Positively impact our communities
Lead on player protection -
player safety remains embedded in our ambition to deliver the best
experience for customers. The quality and sustainability of our
business and our earnings are central to our unwavering ambition to
be a leader across the sustainability agenda. Our approach also
continues to evolve alongside our markets and our customers,
ensuring we remain relevant and appropriate at a localised
level.
Provide a secure and trusted platform -
we operate in a highly regulated sector where the
highest ethical standards are critical in maintaining trust with
our customers and wider society. We are also proud to be the only
global operator with 100% of our revenues coming from regulated or
regulating markets. Entain launched a new Ethics & Compliance
Charter as well as put in place a new ESG Governance structure with
two board-level committees (Sustainability & Compliance and
People & Governance), with oversight from the Board key to
ensuring robust execution and accountability across the
business.
Create an environment for everyone to do their best work
- supporting our ambition to be an
employer of choice, we have launched several new initiatives. These
include Your Goals, Entain's new objective setting programme, and a
refresh of our values and behaviours. Our aim to be an inclusive
and supportive culture was recognised by us being awarded Innovator
of the Year at the Women in Gaming Diversity Awards for our
Returnship programme with McLaren Racing.
Positively impact our communities -
supporting Entain's ambition to reducing carbon
emissions along with our formal commitment to reduce our absolute
scope 1, 2 (market-based) and 3 emissions, we initiated our
partnership with Normative - a science-based carbon accounting
software platform - that provides clear and actionable insights
while facilitating collaboration among stakeholders within our
operations and value chain to get us to net-zero. We also scaled up
our partnership with EcoVadis - the world's largest platform for
supplier sustainability ratings - onboarding and assessing 35% of
our in-scope suppliers and supporting them to improve their
sustainability performance while helping us gain greater insights
into our value chain. We continue to purchase just under 100% of
renewable energy in the UK and Republic of Ireland, amounting to
70% of our purchased electricity globally
We also continue to make a
positive impact through the charitable work of the Entain
Foundation. Our flagship Pitching In programme in the UK pioneers
engagement between semi-professional football and local
communities. Our funding of the Trident Community Foundation has
helped to deliver over 100 initiatives to improve the lives of
thousands of people across the country.
Continued recognition across our
sustainability agenda include:
•
Tier 1 in 2024 CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark UK
100
•
GamCare's Safer Gambling Standards for Online (Advanced Level 3)
and land-based (Advanced Level 2) activities
•
Top 20 UK Best Companies to work for - LinkedIn 2024
•
Maintained inclusion in FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability
indices and MSCI's AA rating
Notes
(1) EBITDA is defined
as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation,
share based payments and share of JV income. EBITDA is stated
pre-separately disclosed items
(2) Growth on a
constant currency basis is calculated by translating both current
and prior year performance at the 2024 exchange rates
(3) Proforma
references include all 2023 acquisitions as if they had been part
of the Group since 1 January 2023
Financial Results and the use of
non-GAAP measures
The Group's statutory financial
information is prepared in accordance with International Financial
Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and IFRS Interpretations Committee
(IFRS IC) pronouncements as adopted for use in the European Union.
In addition to the statutory information provided, management have
also provided additional information in the form of Contribution
and EBITDA as these metrics are industry standard KPIs which help
facilitate the understanding of the Group's performance in
comparison to its peers. A full reconciliation of these non-GAAP
measures is provided within the Income Statement and supporting
memo.
During the current year, the Group
has amended its operating segments in line with the revisions to
the Group's reporting to the executive management team ("CODM").
The Group's operating segments are aggregated into four reportable
segments; UK&I, International, CEE and Corporate with a New
Opportunities segment also present in 2023.
Our CEE region consists of our
businesses in Croatia and Poland.
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER'S REVIEW
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Group
|
Reported results1
|
Six months to 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
CC2
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
%
|
NGR
|
2,555.7
|
2,404.3
|
6%
|
8%
|
VAT/GST
|
(35.4)
|
(26.7)
|
(33%)
|
(39%)
|
Revenue
|
2,520.3
|
2,377.6
|
6%
|
8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
1,534.6
|
1,457.7
|
5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
1,194.2
|
1,126.2
|
6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(670.4)
|
(626.8)
|
(7%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
523.8
|
499.4
|
5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(8.9)
|
(9.1)
|
2%
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(169.7)
|
(134.8)
|
(26%)
|
|
Share of JV loss
|
(57.3)
|
(48.1)
|
(19%)
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
287.9
|
307.4
|
(6%)
|
|
Reported Results1:
NGR and Revenue increased by +6%
(both +8%cc2) versus 2023 in the first half, with the
benefit of the annualisation of 2023 acquisitions and strong
underlying performance in a number of our key territories offset by
an NGR decline in the UK following regulatory implementations in
the prior year which resulted in complex customer journeys.
Proforma5 NGR was in line cc2 year on year
with Online +1%cc2 but Retail
-4%cc2.
Contribution in the first half of
£1,194.2m was also +6% higher than 2023. Contribution margin was in
line with 2023 reflecting the benefit of geographic mix on the
blended margin offset by investment in marketing as the Group
targets the return to sustainable long term Online NGR
growth.
Operating costs were 7% higher due
to the impact of acquisitions. Resulting
underlying EBITDA3 of £523.8m was +5% higher than
2023.
Share based payment charges were
£0.2m lower than last year, while underlying depreciation and
amortisation was 26% higher, reflecting the impact of the
annualisation of prior year acquisitions and continued investment
in product. Share of JV losses of £57.3m includes an operating loss
of £55.7m relating to BetMGM (2023: £48.5m).
Group underlying operating
profit4 was -6% behind 2023. After separately disclosed
items of £224.5m (2023: £733.4m), the Group made an operating
profit of £63.4m (2023: loss of £426.0m).
UK & Ireland
|
UK & Ireland
Total
|
UK & Ireland
Online
|
UK & Ireland
Retail
|
Six months to 30 June
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
Sports wagers
|
2,500.4
|
2,768.2
|
(10%)
|
|
1,141.0
|
1,368.2
|
(17%)
|
|
1,359.4
|
1,400.0
|
(3%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports margin
|
16.6%
|
15.8%
|
0.8pp
|
|
13.2%
|
12.3%
|
0.9pp
|
|
19.4%
|
19.3%
|
0.1pp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports NGR
|
393.5
|
414.4
|
(5%)
|
|
127.5
|
138.5
|
(8%)
|
|
266.0
|
275.9
|
(4%)
|
Gaming NGR
|
611.2
|
655.1
|
(7%)
|
|
339.4
|
369.2
|
(8%)
|
|
271.8
|
285.9
|
(5%)
|
B2B NGR
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total NGR
|
1,004.7
|
1,069.5
|
(6%)
|
|
466.9
|
507.7
|
(8%)
|
|
537.8
|
561.8
|
(4%)
|
EU VAT/GST
|
(2.1)
|
(2.0)
|
(5%)
|
|
(2.1)
|
(2.0)
|
(5%)
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Revenue
|
1,002.6
|
1,067.5
|
(6%)
|
|
464.8
|
505.7
|
(8%)
|
|
537.8
|
561.8
|
(4%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
680.3
|
726.4
|
(6%)
|
|
295.1
|
318.5
|
(7%)
|
|
385.2
|
407.9
|
(6%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
553.2
|
603.5
|
(8%)
|
|
169.2
|
197.3
|
(14%)
|
|
384.0
|
406.2
|
(5%)
|
Contribution margin
|
55.1%
|
56.4%
|
(1.3pp)
|
|
36.2%
|
38.9%
|
(2.7pp)
|
|
71.4%
|
72.3%
|
(0.9pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(353.8)
|
(361.5)
|
2%
|
|
(81.7)
|
(80.5)
|
(1%)
|
|
(272.1)
|
(281.0)
|
3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
199.4
|
242.0
|
(18%)
|
|
87.5
|
116.8
|
(25%)
|
|
111.9
|
125.2
|
(11%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(3.2)
|
(3.2)
|
0%
|
|
(2.2)
|
(2.2)
|
0%
|
|
(1.0)
|
(1.0)
|
0%
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(72.9)
|
(66.5)
|
(10%)
|
|
(24.0)
|
(21.3)
|
(13%)
|
|
(48.9)
|
(45.2)
|
(8%)
|
Share of JV
(loss)/income
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
123.3
|
172.3
|
(28%)
|
|
61.3
|
93.3
|
(34%)
|
|
62.0
|
79.0
|
(22%)
|
During the first half, we made
good operational progress in the UK as we simplify customer
journeys, develop plans to further leverage the omni-channel
offering and prioritise our product development roadmap. Whilst we
are seeing improvements in underlying KPI's, NGR in the first half
was down -6% reflecting prior year regulatory implementation which
resulted in complex customer journeys.
In Online, NGR was -8% year on
year with both sports and gaming behind -8%. Prior year AML
measures, which led to complex customer journeys, as well as
limited product development, have continued to weigh on the
business during the period impacting year on year comparisons.
Despite the decline in NGR, we have made good operational progress
during the half including stemming the run rate decline in Online
revenues, improving our sportsbook user experience and onboarding
our new management team and we remain confident in our ability to
return to Online NGR growth by the end of the year.
In Retail, H1 NGR was
-4%cc2 YoY (LFL -3%), with sports -3%cc2 and
gaming -5%cc2. Whilst NGR was behind year on year in the
first half, performance was in line with expectations and reflects
the timing of cabinet refresh cycles versus competitors, with our
new, next generation Kascada cabinets expected to be fully rolled
out in Q3. H1 2024 NGR was up 3% compared to H2 2023.
Gross profit of £680.3m was £46.1m
behind 2023 with margin of 68% in line year on year. Marketing
spend was £4.2m higher than 2023 despite the reduction in NGR,
resulting in contribution of £553.2m, down £50.3m versus
2023.
Operating costs were 2% lower than
2023 reflecting underlying inflation in Online offset by stringent
cost control and the impact of shop closures in Retail. Resulting
EBITDA3 of £199.4m was £42.6m behind 2023. After
charging depreciation and share based payments, operating
profit4 of £123.3m was £49.0m behind 2023 with increased
depreciation charges a reflection of the recent investment in our
product offerings across both channels.
After separately disclosed items
of £6.9m (2023: £3.5m), the operating profit was £116.4m (2023:
£168.8m).
International
|
International
Total
|
|
International
Online
|
|
International
Retail
|
Six months to 30 June
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
Sports wagers
|
6,172.8
|
5,817.8
|
6%
|
|
5,356.1
|
5,097.1
|
5%
|
|
816.7
|
720.7
|
13%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports margin
|
14.6%
|
14.8%
|
(0.2pp)
|
|
14.1%
|
14.2%
|
(0.1pp)
|
|
17.6%
|
19.1%
|
(1.5pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports NGR
|
760.2
|
699.0
|
9%
|
|
615.4
|
561.1
|
10%
|
|
144.8
|
137.9
|
5%
|
Gaming NGR
|
518.5
|
508.1
|
2%
|
|
505.2
|
495.9
|
2%
|
|
13.3
|
12.2
|
9%
|
B2B NGR
|
40.1
|
23.8
|
68%
|
|
40.1
|
23.8
|
68%
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total NGR
|
1,318.8
|
1,230.9
|
7%
|
|
1,160.7
|
1,080.8
|
7%
|
|
158.1
|
150.1
|
5%
|
EU VAT/GST
|
(33.3)
|
(24.7)
|
(35%)
|
|
(30.6)
|
(24.1)
|
(27%)
|
|
(2.7)
|
(0.6)
|
(350%)
|
Revenue
|
1,285.5
|
1,206.2
|
7%
|
|
1,130.1
|
1,056.7
|
7%
|
|
155.4
|
149.5
|
4%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
717.4
|
660.7
|
9%
|
|
654.9
|
599.0
|
9%
|
|
62.5
|
61.7
|
1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
519.5
|
459.7
|
13%
|
|
461.9
|
401.7
|
15%
|
|
57.6
|
58.0
|
(1%)
|
Contribution margin
|
39.4%
|
37.3%
|
2.1pp
|
|
39.8%
|
37.2%
|
2.6pp
|
|
36.4%
|
38.6%
|
(2.2pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(218.5)
|
(187.9)
|
(16%)
|
|
(182.2)
|
(156.6)
|
(16%)
|
|
(36.3)
|
(31.3)
|
(16%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
301.0
|
271.8
|
11%
|
|
279.7
|
245.1
|
14%
|
|
21.3
|
26.7
|
(20%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(2.5)
|
(2.5)
|
0%
|
|
(2.5)
|
(2.5)
|
0%
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(87.2)
|
(63.9)
|
(36%)
|
|
(69.3)
|
(49.5)
|
(40%)
|
|
(17.9)
|
(14.4)
|
(24%)
|
Share of JV
(loss)/income
|
(0.9)
|
(0.3)
|
(200%)
|
|
(0.9)
|
(0.3)
|
(200%)
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
210.4
|
205.1
|
3%
|
|
207.0
|
192.8
|
7%
|
|
3.4
|
12.3
|
(72%)
|
International NGR in the first
half was +7% and +10%cc2 ahead of 2023,
+3%cc2 proforma5, with strong underlying
performance in all of our key markets except for Italy, where
sports margin was -2pp behind the prior year due to customer
friendly results in domestic football. Within International, Online
NGR was +7% ahead and +11%cc2 (proforma5
+4%cc2) and Retail +5% ahead and +8%cc2
(-4%cc2 behind proforma5 due to Italian
margins).
In Brazil, NGR was
+28%cc2 ahead of 2023 reflecting the benefit of the
corrective actions taken in 2023 and into 2024. During H1 we have
seen improvements in customer acquisition and retention as well as
an increase in volumes of deposits and withdrawals, all of which
illustrate customer engagement since the change in management of
the region. We remain confident in our ability to regain share in
this important growth market.
Online NGR in Australia was in
line2 with 2023 despite the softer market conditions and
last year's introduction of BetStop, the National Self-Exclusion
Register. We remain confident in our strategy focussing on brand
differentiation, new and innovative products and customer
experience and our return to growth in Q2 demonstrates that this
continues to resonate with our customer base.
Italy NGR was -3%cc2
behind 2023, Online -3%cc2 and Retail -4%cc2,
as customer friendly results were partially offset by volume growth
in both channels.
New Zealand NGR was
-2%cc2 behind 2023 on a proforma5 basis, with
Online +1% cc2 and Retail down -10%cc2. We
remain optimistic about the opportunity for our New Zealand
partnership with the successful migration to the Australian
platform late in H1, an improved customer proposition, and the
launch of a second local brand during H2 key catalysts for future
growth.
Baltics and Nordics Online NGR was
+8%cc2 year on year with inflationary pressures in the
region starting to abate and our content leadership strategy paying
dividends. In Germany, our business has stabilised with H1 NGR
-1%cc2 year on year and +7%cc2 versus H2
2023, as we start to see non-compliant operators leave the
market.
Proforma5 NGR in the
Netherlands was -13%cc2 behind the prior year following
regulatory changes in H2 last year. Whilst our BetCity business
continues to grow actives in line with the market, declining spend
per head is impacting performance.
Georgia NGR was +11%cc2
ahead of 2023
as the business continues to
benefit from its innovative approach to marketing, its sponsorship
of the national football league and its branded network of
affiliated companies.
Resulting gross profit for
International, was 9% ahead of 2023 due to the NGR outperformance
and a favourable geographic mix. With marketing spend held broadly
in line with 2023 levels despite increased NGR, contribution margin
increased by +2.1pp over 2023 leaving contribution at
£519.5m.
Operating costs were -16% higher
year on year, as a result of inflation and the annualisation of
2023 acquisitions (13pp). Resulting EBITDA3 of £301.0m
was £29.2m ahead of 2023 and after deducting depreciation and share
based payments, operating profit4 was £210.4m, £5.3m
ahead. The increase in depreciation has largely been driven by the
annualisation of 2023 acquisitions and the New Zealand
partnership.
After separately disclosed items
of £96.2m (2023: £71.4m), the operating profit was £114.2m (2023:
£133.7m).
CEE (Croatia and Poland)
|
CEE Total
|
|
CEE Online
|
|
CEE Retail
|
Six months to 30 June
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
H1
|
H1
|
Change
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
%
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
Sports wagers
|
794.3
|
259.7
|
206%
|
|
667.2
|
209.0
|
219%
|
|
127.1
|
50.7
|
151%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports margin
|
22.9%
|
17.5%
|
5.4pp
|
|
22.1%
|
15.6%
|
6.5pp
|
|
26.9%
|
25.4%
|
1.5pp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports NGR
|
181.4
|
58.0
|
213%
|
|
144.3
|
42.4
|
240%
|
|
37.1
|
15.6
|
138%
|
Gaming NGR
|
59.5
|
48.7
|
22%
|
|
54.2
|
43.8
|
24%
|
|
5.3
|
4.9
|
8%
|
B2B NGR
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Total NGR
|
240.9
|
106.7
|
126%
|
|
198.5
|
86.2
|
130%
|
|
42.4
|
20.5
|
107%
|
EU VAT/GST
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Revenue
|
240.9
|
106.7
|
126%
|
|
198.5
|
86.2
|
130%
|
|
42.4
|
20.5
|
107%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
136.9
|
70.6
|
94%
|
|
109.9
|
56.2
|
96%
|
|
27.0
|
14.4
|
88%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
121.5
|
67.9
|
79%
|
|
95.7
|
53.9
|
78%
|
|
25.8
|
14.0
|
84%
|
Contribution margin
|
50.4%
|
63.6%
|
(13.2pp)
|
|
48.2%
|
62.5%
|
(14.3pp)
|
|
60.8%
|
68.3%
|
(7.5pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(36.8)
|
(15.4)
|
(139%)
|
|
(18.1)
|
(6.3)
|
(187%)
|
|
(18.7)
|
(9.1)
|
(105%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
84.7
|
52.5
|
61%
|
|
77.6
|
47.6
|
63%
|
|
7.1
|
4.9
|
45%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(9.2)
|
(2.6)
|
(254%)
|
|
(5.7)
|
(0.1)
|
n/m
|
|
(3.5)
|
(2.5)
|
(40%)
|
Share of JV
(loss)/income
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
75.5
|
49.9
|
51%
|
|
71.9
|
47.5
|
51%
|
|
3.6
|
2.4
|
50%
|
Following the acquisition of STS
in Poland during H2 2023, H1 NGR was +126% ahead of the prior year
(+131%cc2). On a proforma5 basis, CEE NGR was
+12%cc2 ahead of the prior year.
NGR in Croatia was
+17%cc2 ahead of 2023 with our SuperSport brand
continuing to perform well in a competitive market. Online NGR was
+19%cc2 ahead with Retail +6%cc2. During the
first half we further enhanced our customer proposition with the
introduction of our live score app and stat centre, the roll out of
our new SSBTs and the launch of a new SuperSpin reward tool. This
continued evolution of our proposition remains key in maintaining
our position as the clear market leader.
Proforma5 NGR in Poland
was +8%cc2 ahead of 2023 with Online +7%cc2
and Retail +10%cc2. The intensity of the competitive
landscape in Poland has increased significantly in the last nine
months and we are therefore pleased with the progress and growth
that the business has delivered throughout that period.
Gross profit of £136.9m was +94%
ahead of 2023. Whilst gross profit margin of 56.8% was -9pp behind
2023, this reflects the impact of the acquired Polish business on
the blended CEE segment rather than an underlying reduction in
margin. Marketing spend of £15.4m was £12.7m higher than 2023
reflecting both the impact of the acquisition of STS in Poland and
additional spend in Croatia in order to support the underlying
growth in NGR. Resulting contribution of £121.5m was +79% ahead of
2023, a margin of 50.4%.
Operating costs were £21.4m higher
than 2023, as a result of costs associated with the acquired Polish
business and inflation in Croatia. Resulting EBITDA3 of
£84.7m was £32.2m ahead of the prior year, up +61% or up
+4%cc2 on a proforma5 basis. After charging
depreciation of £9.2m, operating profit4 was £75.5m,
£25.6m ahead of 2023. The increase in depreciation is due to the
impact of the acquired Polish business.
After separately disclosed items
of £85.7m (2023: £42.0m), the operating loss was £10.2m (2023:
profit of £7.9m).
New
Opportunities
|
Reported results1
|
Six months to 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
|
Underlying EBITDA3
|
-
|
(9.7)
|
100%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based
payments
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
-
|
(1.6)
|
100%
|
|
Share of JV loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Underlying operating
loss4
|
-
|
(11.3)
|
100%
|
|
Reported Results1:
Costs in the prior year reflect
those incurred in the Group's former Unikrn business which has now
been closed as a customer facing operation.
Corporate
|
Reported results1
|
Six months to 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
(61.3)
|
(57.2)
|
(7%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(3.2)
|
(3.4)
|
6%
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(0.4)
|
(0.2)
|
(100%)
|
|
Share of JV loss
|
(56.4)
|
(47.8)
|
(18%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying operating
loss4
|
(121.3)
|
(108.6)
|
(12%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reported Results1:
Corporate underlying
costs3 of £61.3m were £4.1m higher than last year driven
by the timing of certain legal costs as well as underlying
inflation.
After share based payments,
depreciation and amortisation and share of JV losses, Corporate
underlying operating loss4 was £121.3m, an increase of
£12.7m. The increase in loss is driven by
underlying cost increase and an £7.2m increase in the share of loss
in the US JV, BetMGM. After separately disclosed items of £35.7m
(2023: £616.5m), the operating loss of £157.0m (2023: £725.1m) was
£568.1m lower than in 2023.
Notes
(1) 2024 reported results are
unaudited and relate to continuing operations
(2) Growth on a constant
currency basis is calculated by translating both current and prior
year performance at the 2024 exchange rates
(3) EBITDA is defined as
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, share
based payments and share of JV income. EBITDA is
stated pre separately disclosed items
(4) Stated pre separately
disclosed items
(5) Proforma references include all 2023 acquisitions as if they had been
part of the Group since 1 January 2023
GROUP PROFIT AND LOSS
|
Results1
|
Period ended 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
CC2
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
%
|
NGR
|
2,555.7
|
2,404,3
|
6%
|
8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
|
2,520.3
|
2,377.6
|
6%
|
8%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
1,534.6
|
1,457.7
|
5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution4
|
1,194.2
|
1,126.2
|
6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA5
|
523.8
|
499.4
|
5%
|
|
Share based payments
|
(8.9)
|
(9.1)
|
2%
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(169.7)
|
(134.8)
|
(26%)
|
|
Share of JV loss
|
(57.3)
|
(48.1)
|
(19%)
|
|
Underlying operating
profit6
|
287.9
|
307.4
|
(6%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net underlying finance
costs6
|
(129.5)
|
(108.4)
|
|
|
Net foreign exchange/financial
instruments
|
90.4
|
88.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit before tax pre separately
disclosed items
|
248.8
|
287.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Separately disclosed
items:
|
|
|
|
|
Amortisation of acquired
intangibles
|
(148.8)
|
(110.2)
|
|
|
Recognition of HMRC settlement
liability
|
(5.9)
|
(585.0)
|
|
|
Other
|
(121.7)
|
(40.5)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss before tax
|
(27.6)
|
(448.1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax
|
(19.3)
|
(54.4)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss after tax from continuing
activities
|
(46.9)
|
(502.5)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Discontinued operations
|
-
|
(3.7)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss after tax
|
(46.9)
|
(506.2)
|
|
|
NGR and Revenue
Group NGR and revenue were +6%
ahead of the prior year (+8%cc2). Further details are
provided in the Financial Performance Review section.
Underlying operating profit6
Group reported underlying
operating profit6 of £287.9m was -6% behind
2023 (2023: £307.4m). Underlying EBITDA5 was +5% ahead,
with the benefit of acquisitions and strong performance in a number
of key markets offset in particular by the UK. Depreciation and
amortisation was -26% higher than 2023 driven largely by acquired
businesses as well as recent investments in product and technology.
The Group's share of BetMGM losses in the period were £55.7m, £7.2m
higher than 2023 as the business continues to invest in gaining
share. Further analysis of the Group's performance for the period
is detailed in the Financial Performance Review section.
Financing costs
Underlying finance costs of
£129.5m (2023: £108.4m) excluding separately disclosed items of
£51.9m (2023: £2.3m) were £21.1m higher than 2023 driven by
interest on the increase in Group debt as well as higher average
interest rates during the current year.
Net gains on financial instruments
were £90.4m (2023: £88.6m) relating predominantly to a foreign
exchange gain on re-translation of post swap debt. This gain is
offset by a foreign exchange loss on the translation of assets in
overseas subsidiaries which is recognised in reserves and forms
part of the Group's commercial hedging strategy.
Separately disclosed items
Items separately disclosed before
tax for the period amount to £276.4m (2023: £735.7m) and relate to
£5.9m of discount unwind on the DPA settlement liability (2023:
£585m charge for the initial recognition of the liability), £148.8m
of amortisation on acquired intangibles (2023: £110.2m), a £22.7m
(2023: £nil) non-cash impairment of certain New Zealand assets
following the migration of the trading platform and £18.8m of
restructuring costs (2023: £6.8m) including those associated with
Project Romer.
The Group also recorded a £7.9m
charge (2023: £5.6m) associated with ongoing costs in relation to
the DPA and our disposed Intertrader business, £20.4m (2023:
£13.6m) associated with the revaluation of contingent consideration
and a £51.9m (2023: £2.3m) non-cash issue cost write off following
the refinancing of the Group's debt in Q2.
In the prior period the Group also
incurred corporate transaction costs of £12.2m.
Separately disclosed
items
|
|
|
2024
£m
|
2023
£m
|
Legal settlement
|
(5.9)
|
(585.0)
|
Amortisation of acquired
intangibles
|
(148.8)
|
(110.2)
|
Impairment
|
(22.7)
|
-
|
Restructuring costs
|
(18.8)
|
(6.8)
|
Legal and onerous contract
costs
|
(7.9)
|
(5.6)
|
Movement in fair value of
contingent consideration
|
(20.4)
|
(13.6)
|
Corporate transaction
costs
|
-
|
(12.2)
|
Other including
financing
|
(51.9)
|
(2.3)
|
Total
|
(276.4)
|
(735.7)
|
Profit/(loss) before tax
The Group's profit before
tax6 and
separately disclosed items was £248.8m (2023: £287.6m), a decrease
of £38.8m on the prior year. After charging separately disclosed
items, the Group recorded a pre-tax loss from continuing operations
of £27.6m (2023: £448.1m), with the separately disclosed costs
discussed above having a significant impact on reported
results.
Taxation
The tax charge on continuing
operations for the period was £19.3m (2023: £54.4m), reflecting an
underlying effective tax rate pre-BetMGM losses and foreign
exchange gains on external debt of 27.4% (2023: 24.1%) and a tax
credit on separately disclosed items of £50.9m (2023:
£16.1m).
The underlying effective tax rate
on continuing operations for the full year ended 31 December 2024,
excluding the results of BetMGM and foreign exchange on financing
items, is forecast to be c25%.
Discontinued operations
During the prior period, the Group
recorded a £3.7m loss in discontinued operations relating to its
disposed Intertrader business which was disposed of in November
2021.
The resulting loss after tax after
discontinued operations was £46.9m (2023: £506.2m).
Cashflow
Period ended 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
Cash generated by
operations
|
459.2
|
497.9
|
Corporation tax
|
(48.2)
|
(71.2)
|
Interest
|
(127.8)
|
(65.2)
|
Net cash generated from operating
activities
|
283.2
|
361.5
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities:
|
|
|
Acquisitions &
disposals
|
(0.2)
|
(474.9)
|
Cash acquired/disposed
|
-
|
43.2
|
Dividends received from
associates
|
0.8
|
-
|
Net capital expenditure
|
(141.5)
|
(130.2)
|
Investment in Joint
ventures
|
(19.8)
|
(40.7)
|
Net cash used in investing
activities
|
(160.7)
|
(602.6)
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities:
|
|
|
Equity issue
|
-
|
590.6
|
Net proceeds from
borrowings
|
1,687.2
|
1,142.8
|
Repayment of borrowings
|
(1,395.5)
|
(1,007.8)
|
Subscription of funds from
non-controlling interest
|
-
|
129.0
|
Settlement of financial
instruments and other financial liabilities
|
(11.0)
|
(204.8)
|
Repayment of finance
leases
|
(35.5)
|
(35.0)
|
Equity dividends paid
|
(56.9)
|
(50.1)
|
Minority dividends paid
|
(0.3)
|
(3.4)
|
Net cash used in financing
activities
|
188.0
|
561.3
|
|
|
|
Foreign exchange
|
(5.4)
|
(14.1)
|
Net increase in cash
|
305.1
|
306.1
|
During the period, the Group had a
net cash inflow of £305.1m (2023: £306.1m).
Net cash generated by operations
was £283.2m (2023: £361.5m) including £523.8m of underlying
EBITDA5 (2023: £499.4m) and an underlying working
capital inflow, offset by a cash outflow on separately disclosed
items, corporate taxes of £48.2m (2023: £71.2m) and £127.8m in
interest (2023: £65.2m).
Net cash used in investing
activities for the period was £160.7m (2023: £602.6m) and includes
net cash outflows for acquisitions of £0.2m excluding payments
under contingent consideration arrangements (2023: £431.7m), net
investment in capital expenditure of £141.5m (2023: £130.2m) and an
additional £19.8m invested in BetMGM (2023: £40.7m). The Group also
received dividends from associates of £0.8m (2023:
£nil).
During the period the Group
received a net £188.0m (2023: £561.3m) from financing activities
with £1,687.2m received through new financing facilities (2023:
£1,142.8m) which were used, in part, to repay £1,395.5m of debt
(2023: £1,007.8m). In the prior period £590.6m was raised through
the equity issuance and the Group also received £129.0m from
minority holdings to meet their obligations for earn-outs and
acquisitions within Entain CEE. During the half, £11.0m was paid on
settlement of other financial instruments and liabilities relating
to contingent consideration on previous acquisitions, partially
offset by a receipt on the settlement on a number of swap
arrangements (2023: £204.8m). Lease payments of £35.5m (2023:
£35.0m) including those on non-operational shops, were also made in
the period.
During the period, the Group paid
£56.9m in equity dividends (2023: £50.1m) and £0.3m in dividends to
minority interests (2023: £3.4m).
Net debt and liquidity
As at 30 June 2024, adjusted net
debt7 was £3,329.3m and represented an adjusted net
debt7 to underlying EBITDA5 ratio of 3.2x.
The Group has not drawn down on the revolving credit facility at 30
June 2024 (2023: £nil).
|
Par
value
|
Issue
costs/ Premium
|
Total
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
Term loans
|
(3,704.4)
|
11.6
|
(3,692.8)
|
Interest accrual
|
(2.1)
|
-
|
(2.1)
|
|
(3,706.5)
|
11.6
|
(3,694.9)
|
Cash
|
|
|
705.7
|
Net debt
|
|
|
(2,989.2)
|
Cash held on behalf of
customers
|
|
|
(201.3)
|
Fair value of swaps held against
debt instruments
|
|
(58.5)
|
Other debt related
items*
|
|
|
194.0
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
|
(274.3)
|
Adjusted net debt
|
|
|
(3,329.3)
|
*Other debt related items
include balances held with payment service providers, deposits and
other similar items
Refinancing
On 14 May 2024, the Group raised
an additional £600m of borrowings through add-ons to its existing
USD and EUR term loans, and used part of the proceeds to repay all
amounts drawn under the £300m bridging loan. In March 2024, the
commitments available under the Group's revolving credit facility
were increased by £45m, further increasing the Group's available
liquidity. As such, the Group's revolving credit facility now has
total commitments of £635m which, as at 30 June 2024, was
completely undrawn save £5m utilised for letters of credit and
guarantees.
Going Concern
In adopting the going concern
basis of preparation in the financial statements, the Directors
have considered the current trading performance of the Group, the
financial forecasts and the principal risks and uncertainties. In
addition, the Directors have considered all matters discussed in
connection with the long-term viability statement including the
modelling of 'severe but plausible' downside scenarios such as
legislation changes impacting the Group's Online business and
severe data privacy and cybersecurity breaches.
Given the level of the Group's
available cash post the recent extension of certain financing
facilities and the forecast covenant headroom even under the
sensitised downside scenarios, the Directors believe that the Group
and the Company are well placed to manage the risks and
uncertainties that it faces. As such, the Directors have a
reasonable expectation that the Group and the Company will have
adequate financial resources to continue in operational existence,
for at least 12 months (being the going concern assessment period)
from date of approval of the financial statements, and have,
therefore, considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern
basis of preparation in the financial statements.
Notes
(1) 2024 statutory results are
unaudited, with the tables presented relating to continuing
operations and including both statutory and non-statutory
measures
(2) Growth on a constant
currency basis is calculated by translating both current and prior
year performance at the 2024 exchange rates
(3) Proforma references include
all 2023 acquisitions as if they had been part of the Group since 1
January 2023
(4) Contribution represents
gross profit less marketing costs and is a key performance metric
used by the Group, particularly in Online
(5) EBITDA is earnings before
interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, share based payments
and share of JV income. EBITDA is stated pre separately disclosed
items
(6) Stated pre separately
disclosed items
(7) Adjusted net debt excludes
the DPA settlement. Leverage also excludes any benefit from future
BetMGM EBITDA or the payments due to acquire the minority interests
in Entain CEE
UNAUDITED FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
INTERIM CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
For the six months ended 30
June
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024
|
|
|
2023
|
|
Notes
|
Underlying
items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
(Note
4)
£m
|
Total
£m
|
Underlying
items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
(Note
4)
£m
|
Total
£m
|
NGR
|
|
2,555.7
|
-
|
2,555.7
|
2,404.3
|
-
|
2,404.3
|
VAT/GST
|
|
(35.4)
|
-
|
(35.4)
|
(26.7)
|
-
|
(26.7)
|
Revenue
|
|
2,520.3
|
-
|
2,520.3
|
2,377.6
|
-
|
2,377.6
|
Cost of sales
|
|
(985.7)
|
-
|
(985.7)
|
(919.9)
|
-
|
(919.9)
|
Gross profit
|
|
1,534.6
|
-
|
1,534.6
|
1,457.7
|
-
|
1,457.7
|
Administrative costs
|
|
(1,189.4)
|
(224.5)
|
(1,413.9)
|
(1,102.2)
|
(733.4)
|
(1,835.6)
|
Contribution
|
|
1,194.2
|
-
|
1,194.2
|
1,126.2
|
-
|
1,126.2
|
Administrative costs excluding
marketing
|
|
(849.0)
|
(224.5)
|
(1,073.5)
|
(770.7)
|
(733.4)
|
(1,504.1)
|
Group operating profit/(loss) before share of results from
joint ventures and associates
|
|
345.2
|
(224.5)
|
120.7
|
355.5
|
(733.4)
|
(377.9)
|
Share of results from joint
venture and associates
|
|
(57.3)
|
-
|
(57.3)
|
(48.1)
|
-
|
(48.1)
|
Group operating profit/(loss)
|
|
287.9
|
(224.5)
|
63.4
|
307.4
|
(733.4)
|
(426.0)
|
Finance expense
|
5
|
(136.5)
|
(51.9)
|
(188.4)
|
(112.2)
|
(2.3)
|
(114.5)
|
Finance income
|
5
|
7.0
|
-
|
7.0
|
3.8
|
-
|
3.8
|
Gains/(losses) arising from
financial instruments
|
5
|
77.8
|
-
|
77.8
|
(23.0)
|
-
|
(23.0)
|
Gains arising from foreign
exchange on debt instruments
|
5
|
12.6
|
-
|
12.6
|
111.6
|
-
|
111.6
|
Profit/(loss) before tax
|
|
248.8
|
(276.4)
|
(27.6)
|
287.6
|
(735.7)
|
(448.1)
|
Income tax
(expense)/credit
|
6
|
(70.2)
|
50.9
|
(19.3)
|
(70.5)
|
16.1
|
(54.4)
|
Profit/(loss) from continuing operations
|
|
178.6
|
(225.5)
|
(46.9)
|
217.1
|
(719.6)
|
(502.5)
|
Loss for the period from
discontinued operations after tax
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(3.7)
|
(3.7)
|
Profit/(loss) for the period
|
|
178.6
|
(225.5)
|
(46.9)
|
217.1
|
(723.3)
|
(506.2)
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity holders of the
parent
|
|
158.5
|
(201.7)
|
(43.2)
|
206.9
|
(708.0)
|
(501.1)
|
Non-controlling
interests
|
|
20.1
|
(23.8)
|
(3.7)
|
10.2
|
(15.3)
|
(5.1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share on
profit/(loss) for the period from continuing
operations1
|
8
|
12.5p
|
|
(6.8)p
|
21.8p
|
|
(83.9)p
|
From profit/(loss) for the
period1
|
|
12.5p
|
|
(6.8)p
|
21.8p
|
|
(84.5)p
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted earnings per share on
profit/(loss) for the period from continuing
operations1
|
8
|
12.4p
|
|
(6.8)p
|
21.6p
|
|
(83.9)p
|
From profit/(loss) for the
period1
|
|
12.4p
|
|
(6.8)p
|
21.6p
|
|
(84.5)p
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Memo:
|
|
|
|
2024
|
|
|
2023
|
|
|
Underlying
items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
£m
|
Total
£m
|
Underlying
items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
£m
|
Total
£m
|
EBITDA
|
|
523.8
|
(53.0)
|
470.8
|
499.4
|
(623.2)
|
(123.8)
|
Share based payments
|
|
(8.9)
|
-
|
(8.9)
|
(9.1)
|
-
|
(9.1)
|
Depreciation, amortisation and
impairment
|
|
(169.7)
|
(171.5)
|
(341.2)
|
(134.8)
|
(110.2)
|
(245.0)
|
Share of results from joint
ventures and associates
|
|
(57.3)
|
-
|
(57.3)
|
(48.1)
|
-
|
(48.1)
|
Group operating profit/(loss)
|
|
287.9
|
(224.5)
|
63.4
|
307.4
|
(733.4)
|
(426.0)
|
1.
The calculation of underlying earnings per share
has been adjusted for separately disclosed items, and for the
removal of foreign exchange volatility arising on financial
instruments as it provides a better understanding of the underlying
performance of the Group. See Note 8 for further
details.
The accompanying notes form part
of these financial statements.
INTERIM CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
|
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2023
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
Loss for the period
|
|
(46.9)
|
(506.2)
|
Other comprehensive income:
Items that may be reclassified to profit or
loss:
|
|
|
|
Currency translation
losses
|
|
(87.7)
|
(164.3)
|
Total items that will be reclassified to profit or
loss
|
|
(87.7)
|
(164.3)
|
|
|
|
|
Items that will not be re-classified to profit or
loss:
|
|
|
|
Changes in the fair value of
equity instruments at fair value through other comprehensive
income
|
|
0.7
|
0.1
|
Re-measurement of defined benefit
pension scheme
|
|
(2.3)
|
(4.6)
|
Tax on re-measurement of defined
benefit pension scheme
|
|
3.4
|
1.6
|
Total items that will not be reclassified to profit or
loss
|
|
1.8
|
(2.9)
|
|
|
|
|
Other comprehensive expense for the period, net of
tax
|
|
(85.9)
|
(167.2)
|
Total comprehensive expense for the period
|
|
(132.8)
|
(673.4)
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
- equity holders of the
parent
|
|
(116.1)
|
(661.2)
|
- non-controlling
interests
|
|
(16.7)
|
(12.2)
|
The accompanying notes form part
of these financial statements.
INTERIM CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
|
|
30
June
2024
|
31
December
2023
|
30
June
2023
|
|
Note
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
Goodwill
|
|
4,637.3
|
4,716.0
|
4,362.3
|
Intangible assets
|
|
3,737.3
|
3,960.1
|
3,703.3
|
Property, plant and
equipment
|
|
530.8
|
533.4
|
518.1
|
Interest in joint
venture
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Interest in associates and other
investments
|
|
45.4
|
47.1
|
55.1
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
|
31.2
|
31.8
|
44.0
|
Deferred tax assets
|
|
512.0
|
493.2
|
488.2
|
Retirement benefit
assets
|
|
60.2
|
61.8
|
60.0
|
|
|
9,554.2
|
9,843.4
|
9,231.0
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
receivables
|
|
512.1
|
503.2
|
502.7
|
Income and other taxes
recoverable
|
|
85.3
|
71.5
|
42.5
|
Derivative financial
instruments
|
13
|
19.8
|
31.9
|
70.4
|
Cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
705.7
|
400.6
|
964.6
|
|
|
1,322.9
|
1,007.2
|
1,580.2
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ASSETS
|
|
10,877.1
|
10,850.6
|
10,811.2
|
LIABILITIES
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
|
(972.9)
|
(878.6)
|
(823.9)
|
Balances with customers
|
|
(201.3)
|
(196.8)
|
(196.5)
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
(65.0)
|
(65.7)
|
(69.2)
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
|
(26.6)
|
(319.2)
|
(613.1)
|
Corporate tax
liabilities
|
|
(85.8)
|
(48.6)
|
(59.9)
|
Provisions
|
|
(21.4)
|
(20.9)
|
(146.8)
|
Derivative financial
instruments
|
13
|
(78.3)
|
(117.5)
|
(100.4)
|
Deferred and contingent
consideration and other financial liabilities
|
13
|
(169.7)
|
(157.0)
|
(121.4)
|
|
|
(1,621.0)
|
(1,804.3)
|
(2,131.2)
|
Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other
payables
|
|
(346.5)
|
(433.8)
|
-
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
|
(3,668.3)
|
(3,038.8)
|
(2,567.9)
|
Lease liabilities
|
|
(209.3)
|
(210.2)
|
(206.7)
|
Deferred tax
liabilities
|
|
(779.8)
|
(825.1)
|
(794.5)
|
Provisions
|
|
(14.4)
|
(4.2)
|
(465.2)
|
Deferred and contingent
consideration and other financial liabilities
|
13
|
(1,625.9)
|
(1,741.5)
|
(1,457.0)
|
|
|
(6,644.2)
|
(6,253.6)
|
(5,491.3)
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES
|
|
(8,265.2)
|
(8,057.9)
|
(7,622.5)
|
NET ASSETS
|
|
2,611.9
|
2,792.7
|
3,188.7
|
EQUITY
|
|
|
|
|
Issued share capital
|
|
5.2
|
5.2
|
5.2
|
Share premium
|
|
1,796.7
|
1,796.7
|
1,796.7
|
Merger reserve
|
|
2,527.4
|
2,527.4
|
2,527.4
|
Translation reserve
|
|
75.7
|
150.4
|
83.1
|
Retained deficit
|
|
(2,300.6)
|
(2,211.7)
|
(1,520.9)
|
Equity shareholder's funds
|
|
2,104.4
|
2,268.0
|
2,891.5
|
Non-controlling
interests
|
|
507.5
|
524.7
|
297.2
|
TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
2,611.9
|
2,792.7
|
3,188.7
|
The accompanying notes form part
of these financial statements.
INTERIM CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
|
Issued
share
capital
|
Share
premium
|
Merger
Reserve
|
Translation reserve1
|
Retained
deficit
|
Equity
shareholders
funds
|
Non-controlling interest
|
Total
shareholders
equity
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January 2023
|
4.8
|
1,207.3
|
2,527.4
|
240.2
|
(846.9)
|
3,132.8
|
183.8
|
3,316.6
|
Profit for the period
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(501.1)
|
(501.1)
|
(5.1)
|
(506.2)
|
Other comprehensive
expense
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(157.2)
|
(2.9)
|
(160.1)
|
(7.1)
|
(167.2)
|
Total comprehensive
expense
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(157.2)
|
(504.0)
|
(661.2)
|
(12.2)
|
(673.4)
|
Share options exercised
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Share-based payments
charge
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9.1
|
9.1
|
-
|
9.1
|
Equity dividends
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(50.1)
|
(50.1)
|
(3.4)
|
(53.5)
|
Equity issue
|
0.4
|
589.5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
589.9
|
-
|
589.9
|
Transactions with minority
interest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(129.0)
|
(129.0)
|
129.0
|
-
|
At 30 June 2023
|
5.2
|
1,796.8
|
2,527.4
|
83.0
|
(1,520.9)
|
2,891.5
|
297.2
|
3,188.7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At 1 January 2024
|
5.2
|
1,796.7
|
2,527.4
|
150.4
|
(2,211.7)
|
2,268.0
|
524.7
|
2,792.7
|
Loss for the period
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(43.2)
|
(43.2)
|
(3.7)
|
(46.9)
|
Other comprehensive
expense
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(74.7)
|
1.8
|
(72.9)
|
(13.0)
|
(85.9)
|
Total comprehensive
expense
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(74.7)
|
(41.4)
|
(116.1)
|
(16.7)
|
(132.8)
|
Share options exercised
|
-
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Share-based payments
charge
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
9.4
|
9.4
|
-
|
9.4
|
Equity dividends
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(56.9)
|
(56.9)
|
-
|
(56.9)
|
Dividends to minority
shareholders
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.3)
|
(0.3)
|
Purchase of non-controlling
interest
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(0.2)
|
(0.2)
|
At 30 June 2024
|
5.2
|
1,796.7
|
2,527.4
|
75.7
|
(2,300.6)
|
2,104.4
|
507.5
|
2,611.9
|
1.
The translation reserve is used to record
exchange differences arising from the translation of the financial
statements of foreign subsidiaries with non-sterling functional
currencies.
The accompanying notes form part
of these financial statements.
INTERIM CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
|
|
Six
months ended
30
June 2024
|
Six
months ended
30
June 2023
|
|
Notes
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
|
|
Cash generated by operations
|
11
|
459.2
|
497.9
|
Income taxes
paid
|
|
(48.2)
|
(71.2)
|
Net finance expense
paid
|
|
(127.8)
|
(65.2)
|
Net cash generated from operating
activities
|
|
283.2
|
361.5
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities:
|
|
|
|
Acquisitions1
|
|
(0.2)
|
(474.9)
|
Cash acquired on business
combinations
|
|
-
|
43.2
|
Dividends received from
associates
|
|
0.8
|
-
|
Purchase of intangible
assets
|
|
(96.7)
|
(92.0)
|
Purchase of property, plant and
equipment
|
|
(44.8)
|
(38.2)
|
Investment in joint
venture
|
|
(19.8)
|
(40.7)
|
Net cash used in investing activities
|
|
(160.7)
|
(602.6)
|
|
|
|
|
Cash flows from financing
activities:
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issue of ordinary
shares
|
|
-
|
590.6
|
Net proceeds from
borrowings
|
|
1,687.2
|
1,142.8
|
Repayment of borrowings
|
|
(1,395.5)
|
(1,007.8)
|
Subscription of equity from
non-controlling interests
|
|
-
|
129.0
|
Settlement of derivative financial
instruments
|
|
51.0
|
-
|
Settlement of other financial
liabilities
|
|
(62.0)
|
(204.8)
|
Payment of lease
liabilities
|
|
(35.5)
|
(35.0)
|
Dividend paid to
shareholders
|
|
(56.9)
|
(50.1)
|
Dividends paid to non-controlling
interests
|
|
(0.3)
|
(3.4)
|
Net cash utilised from financing activities
|
|
188.0
|
561.3
|
|
|
|
|
Net decrease in cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
310.5
|
320.2
|
Effect of changes in foreign
exchange rates
|
|
(5.4)
|
(14.1)
|
Cash and cash equivalents at
beginning of the period
|
|
400.6
|
658.5
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the
period
|
|
705.7
|
964.6
|
1.
Included within cash flows from acquisitions is £0.2m (2023: £nil)
relating to the purchase of minority holdings.
The accompanying notes form part
of these financial statements.
1. Corporate information
Entain plc ("the Company") is a
public limited company incorporated and domiciled in the Isle of
Man whose shares are publicly traded. The principal activities of
the Company and its subsidiaries ("the Group") are described in
Note 3.
2. Basis of preparation
In adopting the going concern
basis of preparation in the financial statements, the Directors
have considered the current trading performance of the Group, the
financial forecasts and the principal risks and uncertainties. In
addition, the Directors have considered all matters discussed in
connection with the long-term viability statement including the
modelling of 'severe but plausible' downside scenarios such as
legislation changes impacting the Group's Online business and
severe data privacy and cybersecurity breaches.
Given the level of the Group's
available cash post the recent extension of certain financing
facilities and the forecast covenant headroom even under the
sensitised downside scenarios, the Directors believe that the Group
and the Company are well placed to manage the risks and
uncertainties that it faces. As such, the Directors have a
reasonable expectation that the Group and the Company will have
adequate financial resources to continue in operational existence,
for at least 12 months (being the going concern assessment period)
from date of approval of the financial statements, and have,
therefore, considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern
basis of preparation in the financial statements.
(a) The Condensed Interim
Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the
Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the United Kingdom's Financial
Conduct Authority and with International Accounting Standards 34
'Interim Financial Reporting' as issued by the International
Accounting Standards Board. It should be read in conjunction with
the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023,
which were prepared in accordance with applicable law and
International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the
International Accounting Standards Board.
The Condensed Interim Financial
Statements are not statutory accounts within the meaning of the
Isle of Man Companies Act 2006 and do not include all of the
information and disclosures required for full annual financial
statements. It should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report
and Accounts of Entain plc for the year ended 31 December 2023
which were filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Isle of
Man. This report is available either on request from the Company's
registered office or to download from https://entaingroup.com/investor-relations/financial-reports/.
The auditor's report on these accounts was unqualified, did not
include a reference to any matters to which the auditors drew
attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report, and
did not contain a statement under the Isle of Man Companies Act
2006.
The accounting policies adopted in
the preparation of the interim financial statements are consistent
with those followed in the preparation of the Group's annual
financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2023 other than
those listed in 2(f).
The financial statements are
presented in million Pounds Sterling, rounded to one decimal
place.
The interim financial information
was approved by a duly appointed and authorised committee of the
Board of Directors on 8 August 2024 and is unaudited but have been
reviewed by the Group's auditor.
(b)
Critical judgements and estimates
In preparing these Condensed
Consolidated Interim Financial Statements, the Group has made its
best estimates and judgements of certain amounts included in the
financial statements, giving due consideration to materiality. The
Group regularly reviews these estimates and updates them as
required.
The existing critical accounting
estimates, assumptions and judgements set out in note 4.2 of the
Group's Annual Report and Accounts for the 12 months ended 31
December 2023 remain relevant to these Condensed Consolidated
Interim Financial Statements.
2. Basis of preparation (continued)
(d) To assist in
understanding the underlying performance, the Group has separately
disclosed the following items of pre-tax income and
expense:
-
amortisation of acquired intangibles resulting
from IFRS 3 'Business Combinations' fair value
exercises;
-
profits or losses on disposal, closure or
impairment of non-current assets or businesses;
-
costs associated with business
restructuring;
-
corporate transaction costs;
-
changes in the fair value of contingent
consideration;
-
the impact of significant litigation;
and
-
the related tax impact effect on these
items.
Any other items are considered
individually by virtue of their nature or size.
The separate disclosure of these
items allows a clearer understanding of the trading performance on
a consistent and comparable basis, together with an understanding
of the effect of non-recurring or large individual transactions
upon the overall profitability of the Group.
The items disclosed separately
have been included within the appropriate classifications in the
consolidated income statement and are detailed in note 4. The
directors have also presented Net Gaming Revenue, Contribution and
Underlying EBITDA as these are measures used frequently within the
industry. All of these items are reconciled within the Income
Statement.
(e) Accounting
policies
Depreciation
Depreciation is applied using the
straight-line method to specific classes of asset to reduce them to
their residual value over their estimated useful economic
lives.
The estimated useful lives are as
follows:
Land and buildings
|
Lower of 50 years, or estimated
useful life of the building, or lease. Indefinite lives are
attached to any land held and therefore it is not
depreciated
|
Plant and equipment
|
3 - 5 years
|
Fixtures, fittings and
equipment
|
3 -10 years
|
Amortisation
Amortisation is charged to the
income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful
lives of intangible assets, unless such lives are indefinite. All
indefinite lived assets are subject to an annual impairment review
from the year of acquisition. Other intangible assets are amortised
from the date they are available for use.
The estimated useful lives are as
follows:
Exclusive New Zealand
licence
|
25-year duration of
licence
|
Retail licences
|
15 years, or duration of
licence
|
Software
|
2 -15 years
|
Trademarks and brand
names
|
10 - 25 years, or indefinite
life
|
Customer relationships
|
3 -15 years
|
(e) Accounting
policies (continued)
Impairment
An impairment review is performed
for goodwill and indefinite life assets on at least an annual
basis. For all other non-current assets an impairment review is
performed where there are indicators of impairment. This requires
an estimation of the recoverable amount which is the higher of an
asset's fair value less costs to sell and its value in use.
Estimating a value in use amount requires management to make an
estimate of the expected future cash flows from each cash
generating unit and to discount cash flows by a suitable discount
rate in order to calculate the present value of those cash
flows.
Estimating an asset's fair value
less costs to sell is determined using future cashflow and profit
projections as well as industry observed multiples and publicly
observed share prices for similar gambling companies.
Within Retail the cash generating
units are generally an individual Licensed Betting Office ("LBO")
and therefore, impairment is first assessed at this level for
licences, property, plant and equipment and right of use ("ROU")
assets, any impairment arising booked first to licences then to
property, plant and equipment and ROU assets.
Separately Disclosed
Items
For a full explanation of what is
defined as a separately disclosed item and how they are disclosed,
please refer to note 2(d).
(f) Updates to
IFRS
A number of amendments to IFRSs
became effective for the financial year beginning 1 January
2024:
IFRS 16
|
'Leases'
|
Lease liability in a sale and
leaseback transaction
|
1
January 2024
|
IAS 1
|
'Presentation of Financial Statements'
|
Classification of liabilities as
current or non-current
Non-current liabilities regarding
long-term debt with covenants
|
1
January 2024
|
IFRS 7
|
'Financial Instrument Disclosure'
|
Supplier Financial
Arrangements
|
1
January 2024
|
IAS 7
|
'Statement of Cash Flows
|
Supplier Financial
Arrangements
|
1
January 2024
|
None of the amendments to IFRS
noted above had a significant effect on the financial
statements.
3. Segment information
The Group's operating segments are
based on the reports reviewed by the Executive management team
(which is collectively considered to be the Chief Operating
Decision Maker (CODM)) to make strategic decisions and allocate
resources.
IFRS 8 requires segment
information to be presented on the same basis as that used by the
CODM for assessing performance and allocating resources, and the
Group's operating segments.
Following an internal review the
focus of the business and the reports reviewed by the CODM have
been amended. The disclosure of segment information has been
amended to match the revised reporting structure. Comparative
information has been amended to reflect this change.
The group results are now
aggregated into the four reportable segments.
- UK&I:
comprises betting, gaming and retail activities from online and
mobile operations, and activities in the shop estates within Great
Britain, Northern Ireland, Jersey, and Republic of
Ireland.
- International: comprises betting, gaming and retail
activities in the shop estates in the rest of the world apart from
UK&I and CEE.
- CEE: comprises betting, gaming and retail activities in
Croatia and Poland for brands SuperSport and STS;
- Corporate: includes costs associated with Group functions
including Group executive, legal, Group finance, US joint venture,
tax and treasury.
- New Opportunities: Reflects the now closed B2C offering under
the unikrn brand.
The Executive management team of
the Group have chosen to assess the performance of operating
segments based on a measure of net revenue, EBITDA and operating
profit with finance costs and taxation considered for the Group as
a whole. Transfer prices between operating segments are on an
arm's-length basis in a manner similar to transactions with third
parties.
The segment results for the six
months ended 30 June 2024 were as follows:
2024
|
UK&I
£m
|
International
£m
|
CEE
£m
|
Corporate
£m
|
Elimination
of
internal
revenue
£m
|
Total
Group
£m
|
NGR
|
1,004.7
|
1,318.8
|
240.9
|
-
|
(8.7)
|
2,555.7
|
VAT/GST
|
(2.1)
|
(33.3)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(35.4)
|
Revenue
|
1,002.6
|
1,285.5
|
240.9
|
-
|
(8.7)
|
2,520.3
|
Gross Profit
|
680.3
|
717.4
|
136.9
|
-
|
-
|
1,534.6
|
Contribution
|
553.2
|
519.5
|
121.5
|
-
|
-
|
1,194.2
|
Operating costs excluding
marketing costs
|
(353.8)
|
(218.5)
|
(36.8)
|
(61.3)
|
-
|
(670.4)
|
Underlying EBITDA before
separately disclosed items
|
199.4
|
301.0
|
84.7
|
(61.3)
|
-
|
523.8
|
Share based payments
|
(3.2)
|
(2.5)
|
-
|
(3.2)
|
-
|
(8.9)
|
Depreciation and
Amortisation
|
(72.9)
|
(87.2)
|
(9.2)
|
(0.4)
|
-
|
(169.7)
|
Share of joint ventures and
associates
|
-
|
(0.9)
|
-
|
(56.4)
|
-
|
(57.3)
|
Operating profit/(loss) before
separately disclosed items
|
123.3
|
210.4
|
75.5
|
(121.3)
|
-
|
287.9
|
Separately disclosed
items
|
(6.9)
|
(96.2)
|
(85.7)
|
(35.7)
|
-
|
(224.5)
|
Group operating profit/(loss)
|
116.4
|
114.2
|
(10.2)
|
(157.0)
|
-
|
63.4
|
Net finance expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
(91.0)
|
Loss before tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
(27.6)
|
Income tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
(19.3)
|
Loss for the period from continuing operations after
tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
(46.9)
|
Loss for the period from
discontinued operations after tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
Loss for the period after discontinued
operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
(46.9)
|
3. Segment information (continued)
The segment results for the six
months ended 30 June 2023 were as follows:
2023
|
UK&I
£m
|
International
£m
|
CEE
£m
|
Corporate
£m
|
New
Opportunities
£m
|
Elimination
of
internal
revenue
£m
|
Total
Group
£m
|
NGR
|
1,069.5
|
1,230.9
|
106.7
|
-
|
-
|
(2.8)
|
2,404.3
|
VAT/GST
|
(2.0)
|
(24.7)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(26.7)
|
Revenue
|
1,067.5
|
1,206.2
|
106.7
|
-
|
-
|
(2.8)
|
2,377.6
|
Gross Profit
|
726.4
|
660.7
|
70.6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1,457.7
|
Contribution
|
603.5
|
459.7
|
67.9
|
-
|
(4.9)
|
-
|
1,126.2
|
Operating costs excluding
marketing costs
|
(361.5)
|
(187.9)
|
(15.4)
|
(57.2)
|
(4.8)
|
-
|
(626.8)
|
Underlying EBITDA before
separately disclosed items
|
242.0
|
271.8
|
52.5
|
(57.2)
|
(9.7)
|
-
|
499.4
|
Share based payments
|
(3.2)
|
(2.5)
|
-
|
(3.4)
|
-
|
-
|
(9.1)
|
Depreciation and
Amortisation
|
(66.5)
|
(63.9)
|
(2.6)
|
(0.2)
|
(1.6)
|
-
|
(134.8)
|
Share of joint ventures and
associates
|
-
|
(0.3)
|
-
|
(47.8)
|
-
|
-
|
(48.1)
|
Operating profit/(loss) before
separately disclosed items
|
172.3
|
205.1
|
49.9
|
(108.6)
|
(11.3)
|
-
|
307.4
|
Separately disclosed
items
|
(3.5)
|
(71.4)
|
(42.0)
|
(616.5)
|
-
|
-
|
(733.4)
|
Group operating profit/(loss)
|
168.8
|
133.7
|
7.9
|
(725.1)
|
(11.3)
|
-
|
(426.0)
|
Net finance expense
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(22.1)
|
Loss before tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(448.1)
|
Income tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(54.4)
|
Loss for the period from continuing operations after
tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(502.5)
|
Loss for the period from
discontinued operations after tax
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3.7)
|
Loss for the period after discontinued
operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(506.2)
|
Assets and liabilities information
is reported internally in total and not by reportable segment and,
accordingly, no information is provided in this note on assets and
liabilities split by reportable segment.
Geographical information
Revenue by destination for the
Group, is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2024
£m
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2023
£m
|
United Kingdom and
Ireland
|
1,002.6
|
1,067.5
|
Australia and New
Zealand
|
278.5
|
207.1
|
Italy
|
263.7
|
279.3
|
Rest of
Europe(1)
|
755.2
|
647.4
|
Rest of the
World(2)
|
220.3
|
176.3
|
Total
|
2,520.3
|
2,377.6
|
1. Rest of Europe
is predominantly driven by markets in Croatia, Poland, Belgium,
Netherlands, and Georgia.
2. Rest of the
World is predominantly driven by the market in Brazil and
Canada.
4. Separately disclosed items
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2023
|
|
£m
|
Tax
Impact
£m
|
£m
|
Tax
Impact
£m
|
Amortisation of acquired
intangibles (1)
|
148.8
|
(27.5)
|
110.2
|
(19.1)
|
Restructuring costs
(2)
|
18.8
|
(2.1)
|
6.8
|
(0.9)
|
Legal and onerous contract
provisions (3)
|
7.9
|
-
|
5.6
|
0.3
|
Impairment loss
(4)
|
22.7
|
(6.4)
|
-
|
-
|
Movement in fair value of
contingent consideration (5)
|
20.4
|
(13.9)
|
13.6
|
4.0
|
Financing
(6)
|
51.9
|
(1.0)
|
2.3
|
(0.4)
|
Legal settlement
(7)
|
5.9
|
-
|
585.0
|
-
|
Corporate transaction costs
(8)
|
-
|
-
|
12.2
|
-
|
Separately disclosed items for the
period from continuing operations
|
276.4
|
(50.9)
|
735.7
|
(16.1)
|
Separately disclosed items for the
period from discontinued operations
|
-
|
|
3.7
|
|
Total before tax
|
276.4
|
(50.9)
|
739.4
|
(16.1)
|
Separately disclosed items for the period after discontinued
operations
|
225.5
|
|
723.3
|
|
1.
Amortisation charges in
relation to acquired intangible assets arising from acquisitions.
The majority of the charge is from recent acquisitions, including
Enlabs, Bet.pt, Avid, SuperSport, BetCity, STS, and Tab
NZ.
2. Costs associated with the Group's restructuring programs,
including project Romer.
3. Costs relating primarily to our commitments to the DPA as
well as other legal costs associated with disposed
businesses.
4. During the period the Group recognised a non-cash impairment
of certain assets in New Zealand, following a platform
migration.
5. Reflects the movement in the fair value of contingent
consideration arrangements on prior years acquisitions as well as
the associated discount unwind. Further details of contingent
consideration liabilities are provided in Note 13.
6. Write-off
of issue costs on the refinancing of Group debt.
7. During the prior year, Entain plc entered into a Deferred
Prosecution Agreement ("DPA") with the Crown Prosecution Service
("CPS") in relation to historical conduct of the Group, thereby
resolving the HM Revenue & Customs ("HMRC") investigation into
the Group. As a result of the agreement reached, the Group
recognised a £585.0m discounted liability during the prior year in
relation to amounts it has agreed to be pay in relation to the
disgorgement of profits, charitable donations and contributions to
CPS costs. The current year charge reflects discount unwind on the
original discounted liability.
8. Transaction costs associated with the M&A activity in the
prior year.
5. Finance expense and income
|
Six
months ended
|
Six
months ended
|
|
30 June
2024
|
30 June
2023
|
|
Underlying items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
(Note
4)
£m
|
Total
£m
|
Underlying items
£m
|
Separately disclosed items
(Note
4)
£m
|
Total
£m
|
Bank loans and
overdrafts
|
(128.9)
|
(51.9)
|
(180.8)
|
(106.3)
|
(2.3)
|
(108.6)
|
Interest arising on lease
liabilities
|
(7.6)
|
-
|
(7.6)
|
(5.9)
|
-
|
(5.9)
|
Losses arising on financial
derivatives
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(23.0)
|
-
|
(23.0)
|
Total finance expense
|
(136.5)
|
(51.9)
|
(188.4)
|
(135.2)
|
(2.3)
|
(137.5)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest receivable
|
7.0
|
-
|
7.0
|
3.8
|
-
|
3.8
|
Gains arising on financial
derivatives
|
77.8
|
-
|
77.8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Gains arising on foreign exchange
on debt instruments
|
12.6
|
-
|
12.6
|
111.6
|
-
|
111.6
|
Net finance expense
|
(39.1)
|
(51.9)
|
(91.0)
|
(19.8)
|
(2.3)
|
(22.1)
|
6. Taxation
The tax charge on continuing
operations for the six months ended 30 June 2024
was £19.3m (six months ended 30 June 2023: charge of
£54.4m) including a credit of £50.9m (30 June 2023:
£16.1m) related to separately disclosed items. The effective tax
rate on continuing operations (excluding the effect of JV results
and foreign exchange on financing items) before separately
disclosed items is 27.4% (30 June 2023:
24.1%).
The current period's tax charge on
continuing operations before separately disclosed items was higher
than the UK average statutory rate for the period of 25.0% due to
unrecognised deferred tax assets on losses arising in BetMGM,
partially offset by credits from updates to prior
periods.
The Group's deferred tax assets and
liabilities are measured at the tax rates of the respective
territories which are expected to apply in the year in which the
asset is realised or the liability is settled, based on tax rates
(and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at
the balance sheet date. Deferred tax assets have been recognised
based on the availability of future offset against deferred tax
liabilities or against future taxable profits. The assessment of
future taxable profits is based on forecasts and assumptions
consistent with those used for impairment testing.
The underlying effective tax rate
on continuing operations for the full year ended 31
December 2024, excluding the results of BetMGM and foreign
exchange on financing items, is forecast to
be c25%.
The Group's future tax charge, and
effective tax rate, could be affected by a number of factors
including the geographic mix of profits, changes to statutory
corporate tax rates and the impact of continuing global tax
reforms.
The UK enacted legislation in 2023
to implement the minimum level of taxation for multinational groups
("Pillar Two"). These rules apply to the Group from 1 January 2024.
The impact of these rules for the period ended 30 June 2024 is to
increase the tax charge by £1.4m.
7. Dividends
A second interim dividend of 8.9p (30 June 2023: 8.5p) per share,
amounting to £56.9m (30 June 2023: £50.1m) in respect of the year
ended 31 December was paid on 26 April. An interim dividend of 9.3p
(2023: 8.9p) per share has been declared.
8. Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share has been
calculated by dividing the loss attributable to shareholders of the
Company of £43.2m (30 June 2023: loss of
£501.1m) by the weighted average number of shares in issue during
the six months of 638.9m (30 June 2023:
593.0m).
The calculation of adjusted
earnings per share which removes separately disclosed items and
foreign exchange gains and losses arising on financial instruments
has also been disclosed as it provides a better understanding of
the underlying performance of the Group. Separately disclosed items
are defined in note 2 and disclosed in Note 4.
Weighted average number of shares
(million):
|
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2023
|
Shares for basic earnings per
share
|
|
638.9
|
593.0
|
Potentially dilutive share options
and contingently issuable shares
|
|
5.0
|
5.5
|
Shares for diluted earnings per
share
|
|
643.9
|
598.5
|
8. Earnings per share (continued)
|
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30 June
2023
|
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
Loss attributable to
shareholders
|
|
(43.2)
|
(501.1)
|
- from continuing
operations
|
|
(43.2)
|
(497.4)
|
- from discontinued
operations
|
|
-
|
(3.7)
|
(Gains)/losses arising from
financial instruments
|
|
(77.8)
|
23.0
|
Gains arising from foreign
exchange of debt instruments
|
|
(12.6)
|
(111.6)
|
Tax charge on foreign
exchange
|
|
11.5
|
10.8
|
Separately disclosed items net of
tax
|
|
201.7
|
708.0
|
Adjusted profit attributable to
shareholders
|
|
79.6
|
129.1
|
- from continuing
operations
|
|
79.6
|
129.1
|
- from discontinued
operations
|
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
Standard
earnings
per
share
Six
months ended
30
June
|
Adjusted
earnings per share
Six months ended
30
June
|
Stated in pence
|
|
2024
|
2023
|
2024
|
2023
|
Basic earnings per
share
|
|
|
|
|
|
- from continuing
operations
|
|
(6.8)
|
(83.9)
|
12.5
|
21.8
|
- from discontinued
operations
|
|
-
|
(0.6)
|
-
|
-
|
From profit for the
period
|
|
(6.8)
|
(84.5)
|
12.5
|
21.8
|
Diluted earnings per
share
|
|
|
|
|
|
- from continuing
operations
|
|
(6.8)
|
(83.9)
|
12.4
|
21.6
|
- from discontinued
operations
|
|
-
|
(0.6)
|
-
|
-
|
From profit for the
period
|
|
(6.8)
|
(84.5)
|
12.4
|
21.6
|
The earnings per share presented
above is inclusive of the performance from the US joint venture
BetMGM. Adjusting for the removal of the BetMGM performance would
result in a basic adjusted earnings per share of 21.2p (2023: 29.9p) and a diluted adjusted earnings per share
of 21.0p (2023: 29.7p) from continuing
operations.
9. Impairment
IAS 36 Impairment of Assets states
that an impairment review must be carried out at least annually for
any indefinite lived assets, such as goodwill and certain brands.
Furthermore, it is necessary to assess whether there is any
indication that any other asset, or cash generating unit (CGU), may
be impaired at each reporting date. Should there be an indication
that an asset may be impaired then an impairment review should be
conducted at the relevant reporting date.
No current indicators which might
lead to a material impairment have been identified by the directors
for the six months ended 30 June 2024 and therefore, no impairment,
other than on assets no longer in use as disclosed in Note 4, have
been recognised.
10. Net debt
The components of the Group's net
debt are as follows:
|
30
June
2024
|
31
December 2023
|
30
June
2023
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
Cash and short-term
deposits
|
705.7
|
400.6
|
964.6
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
(26.6)
|
(319.2)
|
(613.1)
|
Non-current liabilities
|
|
|
|
Interest bearing loans and
borrowings
|
(3,668.3)
|
(3,038.8)
|
(2,567.9)
|
Accounting net debt
|
(2,989.2)
|
(2,957.4)
|
(2,216.4)
|
|
|
|
|
Cash held on behalf of
customers
|
(201.3)
|
(196.8)
|
(196.5)
|
Fair value swaps held against debt
instruments
|
(58.5)
|
(85.6)
|
(30.0)
|
Other debt related
items
|
194.0
|
224.8
|
124.9
|
Adjusted net debt
|
(3,055.0)
|
(3,015.0)
|
(2,318.0)
|
|
|
|
|
Lease liabilities
|
(274.3)
|
(275.9)
|
(275.9)
|
Net debt including lease liabilities
|
(3,329.3)
|
(3,290.9)
|
(2,593.9)
|
* Other debt related items
include balances held with payment service providers, deposits, and
similar items.
11. Note to the statement of cash flows
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2023
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
Loss before tax from continuing
operations
|
(27.6)
|
(448.1)
|
Net finance expense
|
91.0
|
22.1
|
Profit/(loss) before tax and finance expense from
continuing operations
|
63.4
|
(426.0)
|
Loss before tax and net finance expense from
discontinued operations
|
-
|
(3.7)
|
Profit/(loss) before tax and net finance expense
including discontinued operations
|
63.4
|
(429.7)
|
Adjustments for:
|
|
|
Impairment
|
22.7
|
-
|
Depreciation of property, plant
and equipment
|
79.3
|
67.5
|
Amortisation of intangible
assets
|
239.2
|
177.5
|
Share-based payments charge
|
8.9
|
9.1
|
(Increase)/decrease in trade and other
receivables
|
(12.7)
|
5.9
|
(Decrease)/increase in trade and
other payables
|
5.5
|
36.2
|
(Decrease)/increase in other
financial liabilities
|
(13.7)
|
0.5
|
Increase in provisions
|
10.7
|
584.1
|
Share of results from joint ventures
and associates
|
57.3
|
48.1
|
Other non-cash items
|
(1.4)
|
(1.3)
|
Cash generated by operations
|
459.2
|
497.9
|
12. Related party transactions
During the period, Group companies
entered into the following transactions with related parties who
are not members of the Group:
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2024
|
Six
months ended
30
June
2023
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
|
|
|
Equity investment in the
period
|
|
|
- Joint
venture1
|
19.8
|
40.7
|
Sundry
income
|
|
|
- Joint
venture2
|
87.1
|
-
|
- Associates3
|
10.3
|
10.9
|
Sundry
expenditures
|
|
|
- Associates2
|
(31.8)
|
(36.2)
|
1.
Equity investment in BetMGM.
2.
Income in the normal course of business from
BetMGM.
3.
Payments in the normal course of business made to
Sports Information Services (Holdings) Limited.
The following table provides
related party outstanding balances:
|
30
June
2024
|
31
December
2023
|
30
June
2023
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
£m
|
- Joint venture
receivables
|
78.2
|
54.7
|
77.4
|
- Associates payables
|
(5.8)
|
(0.1)
|
(6.0)
|
- Associates
receivables
|
10.3
|
3.2
|
4.2
|
13. Financial instruments
Details of the Group's borrowing
are set out in note 10.
Fair value of financial
instruments
The major component of the Group's derivative financial assets measured
at fair value consist of currency swaps held against debt
instruments of £19.8m (30 June 2023: £70.4m, 31 December 2023:
£31.9m). The fair value of the Group's other financial assets at 30
June 2024 is not materially different to its original
cost.
The major components of the
Group's financial liabilities measured at fair value consist of;
the Group's currency swap liability £78.3m (30 June 2023: £100.4m,
31 December 2023: £117.5m), discounted deferred and contingent
consideration of £1,237.2m (30 June 2023: £1,245.9m, 31 December
2023: £1,335.5m) principally on Tab NZ which has been discounted at
rates relevant to the local market, put option liabilities of
£538.2m ( 30 June 2023: £309.0m, 31 December 2023 £536.3m)
principally on Entain Holdings (CEE) Limited, ante post liabilities
of £16.8m (30 June 2023: £13.0m, 31 December 2023: £17.1m) and
other financial liabilities of £3.4m ( 30 June 2023: £10.5m, 31
December 2023: £9.6m).
Financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value in
the Statement of Financial Position are grouped into three levels
of a fair value hierarchy. The three levels are defined on the
observability of significant inputs to the measurement, as
follows:
· Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for
identical assets or liabilities;
· Level 2:
inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or
indirectly; and
· Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based
on observable market data.
There are no reasonably probable changes
to assumptions or input that would lead to material changes in the
fair value determined, although the final value will be determined
by future sporting results. The valuation of the contingent
element of consideration is subject to estimation uncertainty as
the amount payable is based on various factors, including future
profitability. With the exception of Tab NZ, the range of potential
valuations is not expected to be materially different from that
provided in the financial statements.
13. Financial instruments (continued)
The Group's financial assets and
liabilities that are measured at fair value after initial
recognition fall under the 3 levels of the fair value hierarchy as
follows:
· Level
1 - £8.0m assets (30 June 2023: £4.9m, 31
December 2023: £7.1m), and £nil liabilities (30 June 2023: £nil, 31
December 2023: £nil).
· Level
2 - £21.9m assets (30 June 2023: £72.2m, 31 December 2023: £34.4m),
and £100.4m liabilities (30 June 2023: £78.3m, 31 December 2023:
£117.5).
· Level
3 - £8.4m assets (30 June 2023: £8.0m, 31 December 2023: £8.5m),
and £1,254.9m liabilities (30 June 2023: £1,261.6m, 31 December
2023: £992.8m).
14. Contingent liabilities
AUSTRAC
In October 2020, AUSTRAC initiated
a compliance assessment of Entain Group Pty Ltd, the Group's
subsidiary in Australia ("Entain Australia"). Following two years
of assisting AUSTRAC with the assessment, Entain Australia was
notified in September 2022 that AUSTRAC would be commencing an
enforcement investigation. The investigation is focused on whether
Entain Australia complied with its obligations under the AML/CTF
Act.
Entain Australia continues to
co-operate fully with AUSTRAC's enforcement team, and is liaising
regularly with AUSTRAC's regulatory operations teams as it
implements a detailed remediation plan. As AUSTRAC are still
conducting their investigation and reviewing documentation, it is
too early to predict the likely timing and potential outcome of the
investigation. Whilst the details of the investigation into Entain
Australia are different to other AUSTRAC investigations in the
bookmaking industry, the directors note that previous penalties in
AUSTRAC civil penalty proceedings have been significant. Therefore,
as at the Balance Sheet date, uncertainty exists over both the
timing and outcome of the investigation, with any potential
penalty, should one arise, potentially material.
The Group remains fully engaged,
working collaboratively with AUSTRAC and providing detailed
quarterly updates on enhancements to its AML/CTF program. Whilst
significant progress has been made since 2022, this remains a key
area of focus.
As a leading gambling operator,
the Group recognises that it has a responsibility to keep financial
crime out of gambling, and remains committed to our customers, our
shareholders and the communities that we operate in to ensure we
act as a gatekeeper for safer betting.
Greek tax
In November 2021, the Athens
Administrative Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the Group's
appeal against the tax assessment raised by the Greek tax
authorities in respect of 2010 and 2011. In February 2022, the
Greek tax authorities appealed against the judgements to the Greek
Supreme Administrative Court. While the Group expects to be
successful in defending the appeal by the Greek authorities, should
the Greek Supreme Administrative Court rule in favour of the Greek
tax authorities, then the Group could become liable for the full
2010-2011 assessment plus interest, an estimated total of €292m at
30 June 2024.
In addition to the items discussed
above, the Group is subject to other litigation claims that arise
as part of the normal course of business. Provision has not been
made against these claims as they are either not considered likely
to result in an economic outflow or it is not possible to estimate
the likely quantum and timing of any outflow. Consistent with any
claims of this nature, there is inherent uncertainty in the final
outcome which could be material. In particular, the Group is aware
that, on 1 and 2 August 2024, two groups of shareholders issued
separate claims against Entain plc which arise from the
circumstances and disclosures relating to GVC's legacy
Turkish-facing business and the investigation by HMRC into those
operations, an investigation which was concluded upon the entry by
Entain plc into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the UK Crown
Prosecution Service on 5 December 2023. Entain has not yet been
formally served with either of the claims.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The following information shows
the trading performance for the first half split by channel. This
information has been provided in order to assist year on year
comparability with previously reported results which, prior to the
current year re-segmentation, were analysed as Online and
Retail.
Online
|
Reported results1
|
Six months to 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
CC2
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
%
|
Sports wagers
|
7,164.3
|
6,674.3
|
7%
|
10%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports margin
|
14.7%
|
13.9%
|
0.8pp
|
0.8pp
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports NGR
|
887.2
|
742.0
|
20%
|
23%
|
Gaming NGR
|
898.8
|
908.9
|
(1%)
|
-
|
B2B NGR
|
40.1
|
23.8
|
68%
|
68%
|
Total NGR
|
1,826.1
|
1,674.7
|
9%
|
11%
|
VAT/GST
|
(32.7)
|
(26.1)
|
(25%)
|
(31%)
|
Revenue
|
1,793.4
|
1,648.6
|
9%
|
11%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
1,059.9
|
973.7
|
9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
726.8
|
652.9
|
11%
|
|
Contribution margin
|
39.8%
|
39.0%
|
0.8pp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(282.0)
|
(243.4)
|
(16%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
444.8
|
409.5
|
9%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(4.7)
|
(4.7)
|
-
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(99.0)
|
(70.9)
|
(40%)
|
|
Share of JV
(loss)/income
|
(0.9)
|
(0.3)
|
(200%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
340.2
|
333.6
|
2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Retail
The Retail business is made up of
our Retail estates in the UK, Italy, Belgium, Croatia, New Zealand
and Republic of Ireland.
|
Reported results1
|
Six months to 30 June
|
2024
|
2023
|
Change
|
CC2
|
|
£m
|
£m
|
%
|
%
|
Sports wagers
|
2,303.2
|
2,171.4
|
6%
|
7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports margin
|
19.2%
|
19.4%
|
(0.2pp)
|
(0.2pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports NGR/Revenue
|
447.9
|
429.4
|
4%
|
5%
|
Machines NGR/Revenue
|
290.4
|
303.0
|
(4%)
|
(4%)
|
NGR
|
738.3
|
732.4
|
1%
|
1%
|
VAT/GST
|
(2.7)
|
(0.6)
|
(350%)
|
(416%)
|
Revenue
|
735.6
|
731.8
|
1%
|
1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit
|
474.7
|
484.0
|
(2%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Contribution
|
467.4
|
478.2
|
(2%)
|
|
Contribution margin
|
63.3%
|
65.3%
|
(2.0pp)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating costs
|
(327.1)
|
(321.4)
|
(2%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Underlying
EBITDA3
|
140.3
|
156.8
|
(11%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share based payments
|
(1.0)
|
(1.0)
|
-
|
|
Underlying depreciation and
amortisation
|
(70.3)
|
(62.1)
|
(13%)
|
|
Share of JV income
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Underlying operating
profit4
|
69.0
|
93.7
|
(26%)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INDEPENDENT REVIEW REPORT TO ENTAIN PLC
Conclusion
We have been engaged by Entain plc
("the Company") to review the condensed set of financial statements
in the half-yearly financial report for the six months ended 30
June 2024 which comprises the condensed consolidated income
statement, condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive
income, condensed consolidated balance sheet, condensed
consolidated statement of changes in equity, condensed consolidated
statement of cash flows and the related explanatory
notes.
Based on our review, nothing has
come to our attention that causes us to believe that the condensed
set of financial statements in the half-yearly financial report for
the six months ended 30 June 2024 is not prepared, in all material
respects, in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting
adopted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in
the European Union and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency
Rules ("the DTR") of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority ("the UK
FCA").
Basis for conclusion
We conducted our review in
accordance with International Standard on Review Engagements (UK)
2410 Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the
Independent Auditor of the Entity ("ISRE (UK) 2410") issued for use
in the UK. A review of interim financial information consists of
making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial
and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review
procedures. We read the other information contained in the
half-yearly financial report and consider whether it contains any
apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the
information in the condensed set of financial
statements.
A review is substantially less in
scope than an audit conducted in accordance with International
Standards on Auditing (UK) and consequently does not enable us to
obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant
matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do
not express an audit opinion.
Conclusions relating to going concern
Based on our review procedures,
which are less extensive than those performed in an audit as
described in the Basis for conclusion section of this report,
nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that
the directors have inappropriately adopted the going concern basis
of accounting, or that the directors have identified material
uncertainties relating to going concern that have not been
appropriately disclosed.
This conclusion is based on the
review procedures performed in accordance with ISRE (UK) 2410.
However, future events or conditions may cause the Group to cease
to continue as a going concern, and the above conclusions are not a
guarantee that the Group will continue in operation.
Directors' responsibilities
The half-yearly financial report
is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the directors.
The directors are responsible for preparing the half-yearly
financial report in accordance with the DTR of the UK
FCA.
As disclosed in note 2, the annual
financial statements of the Group are prepared in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards adopted pursuant to
Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in the European
Union.
The directors are responsible for
preparing the condensed set of financial statements included in the
half-yearly financial report in accordance with IAS 34 adopted
pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in the
European Union.
In preparing the condensed set of
financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing
the group's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as
applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going
concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to
liquidate the group or to cease operations, or have no realistic
alternative but to do so.
Our responsibility
Our responsibility is to express
to the Company a conclusion on the condensed set of financial
statements in the half-yearly financial report based on our review.
Our conclusion, including our conclusions relating to going
concern, are based on procedures that are less extensive than audit
procedures, as described in the Basis for conclusion section of
this report.
The purpose of our review work and to whom we owe our
responsibilities
This report is made solely to the
Company in accordance with the terms of our engagement to assist
the Company in meeting the requirements of the DTR of the UK FCA.
Our review has been undertaken so that we might state to the
Company those matters we are required to state to it in this report
and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law,
we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the
Company for our review work, for this report, or for the
conclusions we have reached.
Mark Flanagan
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP
Chartered Accountants
EastWest
Tollhouse Hill
Nottingham
NG1 5FS
08 August 2024