Entain, one of the world’s leading gaming companies, and owner of British bookmaker Ladbrokes, finds itself in the old familiar pickle with the FTSE100 company’s current boss leaving after a short five-month stint on the job.

Isaacs becomes latest Entain CEO to step down

Gavin Isaacs, the now-departed chief executive, said that he will no longer be part of the company or fulfil the duties of chief executive, as confirmed by the firm itself in a statement.

Isaacs, a well-seasoned iGaming veteran with experience at Games Global, DraftKings, and Scientific Games, took over as CEO of Entain in September 2024.

His appointment signaled confidence to investors following a turbulent period for the company, which saw former CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen step down amid activist investor pressure and disappointing financial results and came after a year of looking for the right candidate.

The decision to terminate his contract was a result of mutual agreement, but neither party provided any further details as to what had necessitated his abrupt departure. Isaacs has since updated his LinkedIn profile to show "Taking a break" as his current position.

In the absence of a CEO, Stella David, who is currently a Non-executive Chair will once again be shifted into the position of interim chief executive. She held the position during the search for a new company boss which eventually saw Isaacs appointed.

Entain has had a difficult time retaining its leaders. When the company originally rebranded for GVC Holdings, and became known as Entain, Shay Segev assumed the hot spot. However, he left shortly after his announcement as CEO and went to DAZN, a streaming on-demand sports service turned sports betting company.

Hard time holding down a CEO

Then came Jette Nygaard-Andersen, whose can-do attitude inspired investors, but cracks soon began to show, particularly in relation to a HRMC case, as Entain’s result started to slow down, and the company was questioned over a number of purchases that were subsequently criticized.

Entain will naturally embark on a new quest to attract an industry top name to spearhead the company, but the tendency of well-seasoned veterans such as Isaacs, who has 25 years in various positions, to not stick around does not bode well for the immediate future.

Entain can find comfort in the thought that David, who has proven to be a resilient crisis manager, will remain involved as the search for a new CEO continues.

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