The Great Stick Up

What is The Great Stick Up?

Although it will remain on the FTSE 250, Entain’s relegation will see it removed from the FTSE 100 on 21 September.

This followed a period of restrategising for the operator, after rebranding from GVC Holdings and committing to having 100% of its revenues come from regulated markets.

But its share price has taken a tumble over the last year, dropping up to 37% since September 2025. Its market cap currently sits at £3.39 billion.

How to play The Great Stick Up

The policies in question do not mention the practice of responsible gaming and do not detail other legal and regulatory obligations. They also do not specify the resources used to validate certifications, monitor licences and content, identify irregular practices and operators, or apply moderation measures. 

The absence of governance policies aligned with current regulations and Instagram’s algorithmic recommendations reveals not only an ecosystem that fuels gambling as an alternative to work, but above all, points to a systemic risk in which Meta is a major player. This risk can only be effectively addressed by expanding the obligations of digital platforms.

In this sense, it is necessary to expand the regulatory norms of the SPA and the National Data Protection Agency, beyond transparency reports and the mandatory removal after notification of official administrative decisions, but also with the mandatory inclusion of social and technological resources for monitoring, identifying and moderating this ecosystem.

How to play The Great Stick Up

The remote gaming duty hike from 21% to 40% in April is also expected to have a significant impact on the black market, with Regulus estimating it could drive the market to be worth up to €1 billion, as consumers choose illegal offerings to access unrestricted bonuses.

Other studies have made similar estimations. In June last year two thirds of bettors surveyed by YouGov said the tax increase, which will also hit online sports betting from next year, would drive them to play with unlicensed operators.

The UK has historically maintained a high channelisation rate due to it being particuarly mature with a huge competitive offering. According to the report, up to 1,491 licensed sites provides sufficient choice for engaged players.