Former Rank Group CEO Henry Birch is reportedly a top candidate for the job of CEO of Entain. He would replace Jette Nygaard-Andersen, who resigned in 2023, Casino.org reported May 13.
Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and half of BetMGM, is the largest online casino group in the U.K. The Rank Group is the largest brick-and-mortar gaming firm in the country.
Whoever gets the nod will face a challenging task, leading Entain as it reinvents itself after a controversial period, culminating with the payment by the company of a large fine for bribery through a Turkish subsidiary.
At the same time, Entain’s board wants a steady hand at the tiller because it is being eyed hungrily by several private equity funds. So an acquisition could also be in Entain’s future, such as CVC Capital and Apollo Global Management.
Two months ago Entain announced that it was divesting itself of overseas brands, including all of its operations in the U.S. outside of BetMGM.
Currently Rob Wood is interim chief executive officer.
After his stint with the Rank Group, Birch was CEO of The Very Group, an online retail company, from 2018-2022.
