Flutter restructuring in UK and Ireland after tax rises

Flutter Entertainment plc announced on 20 October 2026 a plan to restructure its UK and Ireland business. The company expects the consultation process could result in up to 1,400 redundancies and anticipates implementation costs of $80m to $90m, which will be recognised in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Scope and affected locations

The restructuring is a first-order response to mitigate the impact of the increase in the gaming levy introduced in the UK Autumn Budget; roles in Leeds (UK) and Dublin (Ireland) are among those affected. Employees based in the UK and Ireland who work in Flutter’s international hubs in Porto, Portugal and Cluj‑Napoca, Romania are also implicated. For regulatory context see the UK Autumn Budget and related guidance on [regulation](/regulation).

Flutter currently employs 28,500 people globally, of whom 9,000 are part of the UK & Ireland division.

Costs and accounting timetable

The cash costs associated with the restructure are estimated at $80m to $90m and were included in the revised guidance published with Flutter’s second-quarter results. Those costs will be incurred in Q4 2026.

Strategic objective and management message

The company frames the operation as necessary to protect customer propositions and deliver second-order mitigations that preserve competitive positioning. Kevin Harrington, Chief Executive of Flutter UK & Ireland, said:

"My immediate focus is to provide the necessary support to all colleagues affected and to steer our teams through this difficult period. The material increase in betting and gaming taxes announced in the UK Budget has fundamentally changed the economics of the regulated industry in the UK."

Harrington added that the tax rise has driven growth in the unregulated market and that, after adjusting fixed costs, the company remains "well positioned to benefit from share gains" given its size as the leading operator in the UK.

Next steps

Proposals are subject to formal consultation with employees and union representatives. Flutter describes the restructuring as a measure to mitigate ongoing economic headwinds and to sustain future investment in its customer offering. For corporate context and financial figures consult the company’s Q2 results update published with the revised guidance on [news](/news).