Entain has marked its first day of trading by elaborating on its US and Latin America growth ambitions, in addition to offering further detail on its Sustainability Charter and Advanced Responsibility and Care initiative.
The rebranded GVC Holdings, which first detailed its reinvention intentions last month, aims to deliver a range of measures to build upon the direction illustrated by CEO Shay Segev.
These will be applicable across all countries in which it operates with brands including bwin, partypoker, Ladbrokes, Coral, FoxyBingo and BetMGM.
Entain outlines an objective of seeking Canadian licensure, as well as commenting that the firm anticipates going live in Colombia during the next month.
In the US, where its BetMGM joint venture with MGM Resorts plans to double its reach in three month with five new state additions between October and January, Tennessee has become ‘its most successful go-live yet with revenues already ahead of those in more established states’. The entity plans to reach more than 20 states by the end of 2021.
“We are firmly on track to take further leadership in the US as well as in many other newly regulated markets that are now opening around the world.” said Segev.
“At the heart of our growth strategy is a determination to bring the best player experiences and protections to our industry as technology moves sport and interactive entertainment into a new era.
“In the US, we invested in building the right building blocks for the BetMGM platform to grow and become a long-term leader in the US, with superior technology and capabilities, and this is now paying off.”
Furthermore, Entain has also announced that Dr Michael Auer, an academic and member of the scientific community at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, specialising in behavioural psychology and addiction, will join the group alongside Professor Mark Griffiths, professor of behavioural addiction and psychology at Nottingham Trent University.
The pair will evaluate and advise on improvements to Entain’s guidelines and processes in relation to responsible gaming.
The company has also pledged to invest £100m over five years in the Entain Foundation to fund responsible gaming initiatives and to support people and communities around the world where it operates.
This will see an “extensive state-by-state program” with Epic Risk Management be extended across the country; a Trident Community Foundation to help fund community-based projects with The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues in the UK to help fund community-based projects, and funds be released to initiate further activities around responsible gaming in Germany.
The Foundation has also announced initial new projects to advance responsible gaming with Relationships Australia, a community-based not for profit organisation which provides a range of counselling and support services to problem gamblers and their families.
The new funding will be used to support a social media campaign to reach vulnerable audiences and to raise awareness of the signs of gambling addiction.
