Ladbrokes owner Entain pays back some furlough after protest

Entain, the gaming giant which owns Ladbrokes, is to pay back ₤ 44m of the furlough cash it claimed during the pandemic, however keep ₤ 57.5 m.

Carolyn Harris MP called it "definitely outrageous" that Entain was not repaying all of it, despite soaring revenues.
bit.ly
The group made ₤ 393m in pre-tax revenue in 2021, up 125% on the year before.
bet9ja.com
It stated the furlough scheme had assisted to safeguard 14,000 tasks, and a "more specific medium-term outlook" made the partial repayment possible.
bet9ja.com
Entain has around 3,000 wagering stores in the UK branded Ladbrokes or Coral - which it had to close for large parts of 2020 and 2021 because of coronavirus limitations.
bet9ja.com
However, punters did not stop betting, they simply moved online. Entain's online organization proliferated, and helping to press the group's revenues up 8% in 2015.

In response to a story in January, MPs called on Entain to repay the cash it had actually received under the furlough scheme, with former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith stating the business must "right away hand the cash back to the UK taxpayer".
bet9ja.com
Entain has actually stated formerly that the situation was "under review". On Thursday, it revealed that it would return the ₤ 44m it declared in 2021, but keep the ₤ 57.5 m it claimed in 2020.
bet9ja.com
Labour MP Carolyn Harris, chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, stated