Entain’s Australian Online Revenue Up 13% as AUSTRAC Trial Approaches
Entain, the London-listed owner of the Ladbrokes and Neds brands in Australia, reported its results for the six months to 30 June 2026 on 13 August. Australia was one of the group’s stronger markets. At the same time, the anti-money laundering case brought against Entain’s Australian business by AUSTRAC is moving towards a Federal Court trial in late November.
Australian results
Entain does not publish a separate Australian revenue figure in pounds, but its interim report gives growth rates:
- Australian online net gaming revenue (NGR) rose 13% in constant currency and 20% on a reported basis;
- the company attributed the growth to continued strong volume growth plus some benefit from favourable margins in the second quarter;
- New Zealand online revenue rose 21%.
Management said the Australian business was undergoing a significant transformation under new local leadership, with simplified operations, renewed Ladbrokes and Neds products and an upgraded native app. Andrew Vouris became managing director for Australia and New Zealand in June 2025.
Group picture
At group level, Entain reported NGR of £2,545.3 million, up 5% in constant currency. Online NGR grew 7% and retail 1%, both in constant currency. Underlying EBITDA fell 2% to £479 million because the UK remote gambling tax rose from 21% to 40% on 1 April 2026. Entain kept its full-year guidance for online NGR growth of 5% to 7% in constant currency.
The AUSTRAC case
AUSTRAC began civil penalty proceedings against Entain Group in December 2024, after an investigation announced in September 2022. The case alleges breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act between December 2018 and August 2024. According to The Straight, the amended claim centres on 17 high-risk customer accounts that AUSTRAC says were allowed to spend more than $152 million without appropriate checks. Entain disputes significant parts of the claim and says it closed those accounts before the proceedings began, some as early as 2020.
Key dates reported by The Straight on 17 August 2026:
- the parties first entered confidential mediation on 30 July 2025, and neither side has sought to end it;
- a further mediation meeting was expected at the end of September;
- a case management hearing was listed for 1 October;
- a trial of about 10 days is scheduled to begin on 30 November 2026 before Justice Cameron Moore.
Entain holds a provision of $100 million for the case. The company says the figure is an accounting estimate rather than a forecast of the penalty, and notes that earlier AUSTRAC penalties in the gaming sector have ranged from $45 million to $450 million. The Straight notes that this is the first AUSTRAC civil penalty case against an online betting business.
How it fits the wider enforcement picture
AUSTRAC has taken a less adversarial route with other bookmakers this year. In July 2026 it accepted an enforceable undertaking from bet365 and confirmed that Sportsbet had completed its own undertaking; see our report on the bet365 undertaking. Entain’s Ladbrokes and Neds brands also entered an 18-month undertaking with the ACMA in May 2026 over more than 500 BetStop breaches.
What it means for customers
AML rules are why licensed bookmakers ask for identity documents and, for larger amounts, details of where the money comes from. Our guide to KYC verification explains what checks to expect, and our page on the legality of online gambling in Australia explains what licensed wagering providers can offer. If you have a dispute with a licensed bookmaker, see how to file a complaint.
Australian online net gaming revenue rose 13% in constant currency and 20% on a reported basis in the six months to 30 June 2026.
Breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing law between December 2018 and August 2024, with the amended claim centred on 17 high-risk accounts said to have spent more than $152 million without appropriate checks.
The Federal Court trial is listed to begin on 30 November 2026, unless the parties settle through the mediation that has been running since July 2025.
Sources
- Entain plc: Interim results for the six months to 30 June 2026 (13 August 2026)
- Gambling.com: Entain beats H1 expectations as UK tax hike bites into profit (13 August 2026)
- The Straight: Mediation continues ahead of landmark AUSTRAC Federal Court case against Entain (17 August 2026)
- AUSTRAC: AUSTRAC takes Ladbrokes and Neds operator Entain to Federal Court (December 2024)
Header photo: 2025-03-05-Commonwealth-Law-Courts-Victoria-Avenue-Perth-03 by Elrondil, licensed CC BY 4.0.