This was supported by the return of the group’s retail vertical, but online NGR was down 8% for the period.
Entain noted that retail was up year on year due to closures in the prior year, with volumes settling within 5-10% of pre-Covid levels.
Other highlights for the period included BetMGM continuing to go “from strength to strength”, with the Avid Gaming, Klondaika and Totolotek transactions delivering strategic growth expansion into new markets.
“We have started the year with a good performance across all areas of our business, driven as ever by the strength of our industry-leading platform,” said Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen. “We have delivered strong performances in all of our major markets, and I am pleased to report that Retail is performing well with customers returning for our in-store experience.
“In the US, BetMGM is firmly established as the number two operator, and our market launches during Q1 mean that we now have access to over 41% of the US adult population. Elsewhere, our strategy of expanding into new markets is continuing at pace, having acquired businesses in Canada, Latvia and Poland during Q1.
Nygaard-Andersen continued: “As a growing business we continue to invest in and build our business around our customers to provide them with the best experiences whilst also capturing the many opportunities ahead.
“Given the strength and continuing momentum of our underlying business, coupled with our proven ability to grow both organically and through M&A, we remain confident in our financial performance for FY22 and beyond.”
