Flutter Entertainment highlights significant UK gaming tax increases, projecting substantial EBITDA impacts and potential mitigation strategies.
Quiver AI Summary
Flutter Entertainment plc, a leading online sports betting and iGaming operator, has reacted to the UK Government's recent announcement of increased gaming taxes in its autumn budget. Starting April 2026, the tax rate for iGaming will rise to 40%, and for sports betting (excluding horse racing), it will increase to 25% effective April 2027. These changes are projected to negatively impact Flutter’s adjusted EBITDA, with a forecasted burden of approximately $320 million in fiscal 2026 and $540 million in fiscal 2027. Despite this, Flutter aims to mitigate some of the impacts through reduced operational spending and market efficiencies, projecting first-order mitigations of 27% and 37% for 2026 and 2027, respectively. CEO Kevin Harrington expressed disappointment with the tax increases, warning that they may encourage illegal gambling operators, and emphasized Flutter's strategies to leverage its market position to navigate the forthcoming challenges.
Potential Positives
- Flutter expects to mitigate approximately 20% of the gross impact of increased gaming taxes in the first six months and up to 40% thereafter, showcasing effective cost management strategies.
- The company anticipates market share gains as the largest operator, positioning itself to capitalize on the tax changes and further reinforce its leading market position.
- Despite the tax increases, Flutter reported significant revenue growth of 19% year-over-year for fiscal 2024, indicating strong operational performance and demand for its services.
- Flutter's diverse portfolio of prominent brands and its global presence, including a market-leading position in the US, enhance its ability to navigate regulatory changes and pursue long-term growth opportunities.
Potential Negatives
- Significant expected EBITDA impacts of $320 million in 2026 and $540 million in 2027 due to tax increases could negatively affect financial performance.
- The increase in gaming taxes could make Flutter less competitive compared to illegal operators who do not pay taxes, potentially leading to market share losses.
- The company's need for operational reductions and cost-cutting measures to mitigate tax impacts may influence its ability to invest in growth or innovation.
FAQ
What are the new UK gaming tax changes affecting Flutter?
The UK government announced tax increases for iGaming to 40% and sports betting to 25%, effective from April 2026 and 2027, respectively.
How will the tax changes impact Flutter's earnings?
The anticipated adjusted EBITDA impact for Flutter is approximately $320 million in 2026 and $540 million in 2027.
What mitigation strategies is Flutter planning?
Flutter expects to mitigate around 20% of the tax impact through reduced operational and marketing spend in the initial six months.
How does Flutter view the new tax increases?
Flutter's UKI CEO expressed disappointment, stating these increases may boost illegal gambling operators competitive edge.
What is Flutter's market position in online betting?
Flutter is a leading operator in online sports betting and iGaming, with significant market share and multiple brands under its umbrella.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$FLUT Insider Trading Activity
$FLUT insiders have traded $FLUT stock on the open market 22 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 22 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $FLUT stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- DANIEL MARK TAYLOR (See Remarks) has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 17,359 shares for an estimated $4,959,291.
- AMY HOWE (CEO & President - FanDuel) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 4,097 shares for an estimated $1,253,327.
- JEREMY PETER JACKSON (Chief Executive Officer) sold 2,112 shares for an estimated $617,591
- JAMES PHILIP BISHOP (See Remarks) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 1,904 shares for an estimated $536,246.
- CAROLAN LENNON sold 430 shares for an estimated $105,655
- JOHN A BRYANT sold 418 shares for an estimated $102,706
- NANCY CRUICKSHANK sold 281 shares for an estimated $69,044
- HOLLY K KOEPPEL has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 267 shares for an estimated $65,510.
- NANCY DUBUC sold 265 shares for an estimated $64,914
- ATIF RAFIQ sold 265 shares for an estimated $64,706
- ROBERT R BENNETT has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 264 shares for an estimated $64,665.
- ALFRED F JR HURLEY has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 265 shares for an estimated $64,643.
- CHRISTINE M MCCARTHY sold 264 shares for an estimated $64,447
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$FLUT Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 348 institutional investors add shares of $FLUT stock to their portfolio, and 300 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- PARVUS ASSET MANAGEMENT JERSEY LTD removed 4,591,128 shares (-58.8%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $1,166,146,512
- FMR LLC added 2,639,071 shares (+99.1%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $670,324,034
- VIKING GLOBAL INVESTORS LP removed 2,284,905 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $580,365,870
- DRAGONEER INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC removed 1,683,408 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $427,585,632
- HRT FINANCIAL LP removed 1,082,159 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $309,237,755
- DURABLE CAPITAL PARTNERS LP added 911,507 shares (+274.2%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $231,522,778
- MARSHALL WACE, LLP added 717,658 shares (+112.8%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $182,285,132
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$FLUT Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $FLUT in the last several months. We have seen 14 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- HSBC issued a "Buy" rating on 11/24/2025
- UBS issued a "Buy" rating on 11/20/2025
- Wells Fargo issued a "Overweight" rating on 11/18/2025
- BTIG issued a "Buy" rating on 11/13/2025
- Stifel issued a "Buy" rating on 11/13/2025
- Barclays issued a "Overweight" rating on 11/13/2025
- Citizens issued a "Market Outperform" rating on 11/13/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $FLUT, check out Quiver Quantitative's $FLUT forecast page.
$FLUT Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $FLUT recently. We have seen 18 analysts offer price targets for $FLUT in the last 6 months, with a median target of $317.5.
Here are some recent targets:
- Joe Thomas from HSBC set a target price of $228.0 on 11/24/2025
- Ben Shelley from UBS set a target price of $340.0 on 11/20/2025
- Justin Bowers from Wells Fargo set a target price of $272.0 on 11/18/2025
- Jeffrey Stantial from Stifel set a target price of $330.0 on 11/13/2025
- Clark Lampen from BTIG set a target price of $271.0 on 11/13/2025
- Barry Jonas from Truist Securities set a target price of $305.0 on 11/13/2025
- Bernie McTernan from Needham set a target price of $300.0 on 11/13/2025
Full Release
NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flutter Entertainment plc (“Flutter”) (NYSE: FLUT; LSE: FLTR), the world's leading online sports betting and iGaming operator, notes changes to gaming taxation announced by the UK Government in its autumn budget.
The changes to UK online gaming taxation include:
- Effective from April 2026, iGaming increases 19 percentage points to 40 percent
- Effective from April 2027, Sports betting (ex-horseracing) increases 10 percentage points to 25 percent
The adjusted EBITDA 1 impact of these changes for Flutter, before mitigation, is expected to be approximately $320m in fiscal 2026 2 and $540m in fiscal 2027 3 . In the near term, Flutter expects the overall mitigation opportunity to be similar to recent precedent, with a greater relative opportunity for second order mitigation offsetting a moderately lower relative level of first order mitigation.
For both Online Sports betting and iGaming tax increases, direct first order mitigation, including reduced operational, promotional and marketing spend is expected to be approximately 20% of the gross impact in the first six months post implementation, rising to approximately 40% thereafter. Given the staggered implementation dates, this would result in the following expected approximate first order mitigation impact by year:
|
In $ millions except where stated otherwise
|
In-year impact | |||
| 2026 | 2027 | |||
| Total adjusted EBITDA impact | 320 | 540 | ||
| First order mitigation | 85 | 201 | ||
| % mitigation | 27 | % | 37 | % |
| Net impact | 235 | 339 | ||
| 2027 exit % mitigation | 40 | % | ||
These tax increases will have a very significant impact on the overall market. As the largest scale operator, Flutter has the opportunity to deliver material second order mitigation benefits, including market share gains. We believe this, combined with additional operational efficiencies, will provide substantial opportunities to help offset the impact in the medium-term.
Kevin Harrington, UKI CEO, commented:
“Today’s tax increases are a very disappointing outcome and will have a significant adverse impact on our industry. The Chancellor rightly wants to address harm, but these changes will hand a big win to illegal, unlicensed gambling operators who will become more competitive overnight. These black market operators don’t pay tax and don’t invest in safer gambling. At 40 percent, the UK’s remote gaming duty is now above countries such as the Netherlands, where a recent tax increase saw a rise in illegal gambling and a fall in Government receipts. Despite this impact, I am confident that through both our scale and leading position in the UK, as well as the proactive cost initiatives that we are taking, we are well placed to navigate through today’s changes.”
Footnotes
1
Adjusted EBITDA is defined on a Group basis as net income (loss) before income taxes; other income, net; interest expense, net; depreciation and amortization; transaction fees and associated costs; restructuring and integration costs; impairment of property and equipment, intangible assets, right-of-use assets and goodwill and share based compensation expense. A reconciliation of our forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure cannot be provided without unreasonable effort. This is due to the inherent difficulty of accurately forecasting the occurrence and financial impact of the adjusting items necessary for such a reconciliation to be prepared of items that have not yet occurred, are out of our control, or cannot be reasonably predicted
2
The 2026 adjusted EBITDA impact covers the change in online iGaming taxation over the period from April to December 2026
3
The 2027 adjusted EBITDA impact covers a full year impact of the change in online iGaming taxation and the change in online Sports betting taxation over the period from April to December 2027
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect our current expectations as to future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “outlook”, “believe(s)”, ”expect(s)”, “potential”, “continue(s)”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “seek(s)”, “predict(s)”, “intend(s)”, “trends”, “plan(s)”, “estimate(s)”, “anticipates”, “projection”, “goal”, “target”, “aspire”, “will likely result”, and or the negative version of these words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties and there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. The ability to predict market share gains, results or actual effects of our plans, mitigation efforts, market share gains and strategies is inherently uncertain. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. In addition, we may incur additional or unexpected costs in connection with the matters discussed in this press release.
Factors that could cause Flutter’s results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of Flutter’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and other periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Flutter undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
About Flutter Entertainment plc
Flutter is the world’s leading online sports betting and iGaming operator, with a market leading position in the US and across the world. Our ambition is to leverage our size and our challenger mindset to change our industry for the better. By Changing the Game, we believe we can deliver long-term growth while promoting a positive, sustainable future for all our stakeholders. We are well-placed to do so through the distinctive, global advantages of the Flutter Edge, which gives our brands access to group-wide benefits, as well as our clear vision for sustainability through our Positive Impact Plan.
Flutter operates a diverse portfolio of leading online sports betting and iGaming brands including FanDuel, Sky Betting & Gaming, Sportsbet, PokerStars, Paddy Power, Sisal, Snai, tombola, Betfair, MaxBet, Junglee Games, Adjarabet and Betnacional. We are the industry leader with $14,048m of revenue globally for fiscal 2024, up 19% YoY, and $3,794m of revenue globally for the quarter ended September 30, 2025.
To learn more about Flutter, please visit our website at www.flutter.com .
Contacts:
| Investor Relations: | Media Relations: |
| Paul Tymms, Investor Relations | Kate Delahunty, Corporate Communications |
| Ciara O'Mullane, Investor Relations | Lindsay Dunford, Corporate Communications |
| Chris Hancox, Investor Relations | Rob Allen, Corporate Communications |
| Email : [email protected] | Email: [email protected] |
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.rns.com .