Gavin Isaacs has exited his role as Chief Executive Officer for international gambling giant Entain plc, the company announced on Monday. Isaacs, who was announced as Entain’s new CEO last July and began his work there last September, departed his role at Entain with immediate effect. The company counts online poker operator Partypoker among its many gambling brands.
Entain offered no reason for Isaacs’ departure, though Reuters quoted researchers at Davy Research, a Dublin-based market-research firm, as stating that “irreconcilable differences” existed between Isaacs and a majority of Entain’s board of directors.
The 60-year-old Isaacs, a veteran of 25 years within the American gambling industry before jumping to Entain, was brought in to help reverse the sagging financial fortunes of the European gaming giant.
Isaacs’ exit means that Stella David, who is Entain’s Non-Executive Chair, will return to the role of interim CEO that she held following Jette Nygaard-Andersen’s exit in late 2023. Barry Gibson also served briefly as Entain’s CEO in mid-2023 before his retirement, which made way for Isaacs’ arrival.
“Entain is making strong progress in delivering our strategic priorities. We would like to thank Gavin for his contribution.” said David, who added, “The Board and management remain aligned on the Group’s focus on operational excellence and maximising shareholder value. I look forward to leading the business as we continue to accelerate our performance.”
More turbulence for Entain
Share prices for Entain plc nonetheless dipped sharply following the disclosure that Isaacs was departing the company, dropping by up to 12 percent on various listings. Entain has lost over two thirds of its market valuation since 2021.
The turbulence has more components than just the shuffling of the company’s executives. Entain has been hit with significant regulatory setbacks in the UK (for irregular operations in Turkey) and Australia. There has been management uncertainty as well, as when it flip-flopped on a decision to sell off its partypoker assets in the United States. The company also faces a lawsuit from institutional investors for its alleged mismanagement in the Turkish matter.
Entain remains one of the world’s largest conglomerations of land-based and online gambling brands. The company’s global lineup includes Ladbrokes, Coral, Sportingbet, bwin, Gioco Digitale, and half of BetMGM (in partnership with MGM International), in addition to many other regional brands.