🎲 Ladbrokes Betting & Gaming Limited

This company is a gambling operator licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain. It offers betting and gaming products including sports betting, casino-style games, poker and bingo under an active operating licence. It forms part of a wider corporate group ultimately owned by Entain plc.

The business traces its origins to 1886, when it was established as a partnership by Mr Schwind and Pennington, initially focusing on backing and training racehorses in Ladbroke, Warwickshire. Around 1900 the business relocated to London and developed into a credit betting operation. In 1902 Arthur Bendir joined and is credited with formalising the business and adopting the Ladbrokes name. In 1913 the firm moved to Mayfair and expanded its on-course and off-course betting activities, including the recruitment of Helen Vernet, who became a partner in 1918.

In 1957 the company was acquired by a group of investors led by Cyril Stein and Max Parker. Under this ownership it expanded its betting shop estate following the legalisation of licensed betting offices in Great Britain in 1961. In 1967 the group was floated on the London Stock Exchange as Ladbroke Group PLC. Through the 1980s and 1990s the group diversified, acquiring interests including Le Tierce SA in Belgium and Hilton International hotels.

In 1999 Ladbroke Group PLC was renamed Hilton Group plc. In 2006, following the disposal of its hotel interests, the betting and gaming operations were reorganised under Ladbrokes plc. In 2016 Ladbrokes combined with Gala Coral Group to form Ladbrokes Coral Group, creating a combined retail and online betting and gaming business. In 2018 Ladbrokes Coral became part of GVC Holdings plc, which subsequently rebranded as Entain plc. Ladbrokes Betting & Gaming Limited now operates as a subsidiary within the Entain group.

Licensing and Operations

The company holds a Gambling Commission operating licence in Great Britain. This authorises it to provide betting and gaming facilities to customers, including both remote (online and mobile) and non-remote (land-based) activities, in accordance with the specific licence conditions and codes of practice set by the regulator.

Under this operating licence, the business may offer sports betting, casino-style games, poker and bingo products, and operate betting premises such as licensed betting offices. It also supports an omnichannel model in which customers can access gambling services through retail outlets and remote platforms under the same regulatory framework.

The operating licence is currently recorded by the Gambling Commission as active. Any changes to licence status, such as variations of licence conditions or additions and removals of licence activities, are recorded by the regulator through its public register.

Regulatory History

In July 2019 the Gambling Commission announced that Ladbrokes Coral Group, including operations within this licensee, would pay £5.9 million for failings in social responsibility and anti-money laundering controls identified between November 2014 and October 2017. The regulatory settlement included a payment in lieu of a financial penalty and divestment of money received from customers where failings were identified.

In August 2022 the Gambling Commission reported regulatory failings across licensed entities within the Entain group relating to social responsibility and anti-money laundering controls. The group agreed to pay a total of £17 million, of which £14 million related to online business and £3 million to land-based operations, including those conducted under the Ladbrokes and Coral brands. The settlement included the imposition of additional licence conditions requiring an improvement plan and enhanced monitoring.

These actions were taken under the Gambling Act 2005 and associated licence conditions and codes of practice. The company’s operating licence remains active following these regulatory outcomes.