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Entain has officially confirmed that it will no longer be sponsoring the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham festival after a 52-year association with the event.
The operator first sponsored the race in 1974, but the decision follows an increase in betting taxation announced in the UK budget last November.

Sadly, today we’ve confirmed that @Coral will not renew its 52‑year sponsorship of the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. This follows the significant rise in gambling taxation announced in the UK Budget, requiring us to review our marketing spend.
— Chris Alfred (@Chris_Alfred) January 28, 2026

As such, the company has been forced to reassess the sustainability of certain sponsorships going forward, with the Coral Cup being affected, despite horse racing avoiding large tax rises.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm Coral will not be renewing its long-standing sponsorship of the Coral Cup,” said Simon Clare, Entain’s PR and Sponsorship Director, in a statement to ReadWrite. This was also confirmed by Entain’s Head of Corporate Media, Chris Alfred, in posts on X.
“Ending our sponsorship after 52 years is incredibly regrettable, but reflects the need to reassess where and how we invest under the new cost landscape.
“The Jockey Club remains a valued and long-standing partner, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration across the many major Coral and Ladbrokes sponsorships we continue to support.”

We warned this could happen ahead of last year’s Budget.CEO Stella David repeatedly cautioned that higher taxes would force investment cuts and push customers to the black market. https://t.co/TManiYDNk2
— Chris Alfred (@Chris_Alfred) January 28, 2026

Sources claim that the decision wasn’t solely aimed at horse racing, but at those who indicated that the tax rises would not lead to change from an operational point of view.
Entain is still going to be involved in horse racing
While the decision to end the 52-year association with the Coral Cup comes as a surprise, Entain has confirmed that it will still offer a long-term commitment to horse racing.
The operator has invested in the sport through partnerships via Coral and Ladbrokes and has also stated that bringing racing and operators closer together will ensure the sport remains sustainable in the long term.
“Horse racing remains hugely important to Entain, and we will maintain significant investment across some of the sport’s biggest events, including the Ladbrokes King George and the Coral-Eclipse,” added Clare.

The new tax regime increases pressure across the sector and makes racing’s high cost base even harder to sustain. This news may help demonstrate that the so-called carve-out for racing in the budget was actually more like a stealth tax.
— Chris Alfred (@Chris_Alfred) January 28, 2026

“Cheltenham will continue to be a major moment for our customers, and we will promote the Festival across all our channels as strongly as ever.
“However, with higher taxation and racing’s already high cost base – driven by media rights and the statutory levy – it is essential that the sport and the betting industry work together to grow racing’s appeal while ensuring it remains financially sustainable. We are committed to working constructively with our partners to support racing’s long-term health.”
Featured image: Canva
The post Entain announces it will end Coral Cup sponsorship after 52 years appeared first on ReadWrite.

A number of licensed wagering providers are said to have breached self-exclusion rules, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The independent commonwealth statutory authority, in Australia, regulates communications and media services in the country and it has just announced it has carried out a number of investigations.
The ACMA says investigations found Tabcorp, LightningBet, Betfocus, TempleBet, Picklebet, and BetChamps “all failed to comply with rules that protect people who registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register.”

The ACMA has found six wagering providers in breach of gambling self‑exclusion rules for failing to adequately identify and protect people who had self‑excluded.
Read more: https://t.co/kaLT0h31Sl pic.twitter.com/dxcXne3Fjh
— ACMA (@acmadotgov) January 29, 2026

They confirm that the facts of each investigation are different, but the alleged breaches across them included allowing registered individuals to open wagering accounts and to access wagering services, or marketing to registered individuals.
ACMA provides insight into outcome of investigations into providers
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said in a press release that these breaches undermine the protections from gambling harm that self-exclusion offers: “The national self-exclusion register is designed to help people who are trying to avoid gambling services and stop gambling, but self-exclusion only works if wagering providers follow the rules.
“These rules have been in place for more than two years and wagering providers should be taking their responsibilities seriously.” She continued to explain how people who self-exclude themselves from online and telephone gambling trust that the system can protect them from gambling harm.
The authority states the investigations identified that the providers did not ensure that their underlying systems and processes were operating as intended and failed to adequately identify and protect people who had self-excluded. They say a number of enforcement tools have been used following the findings.
To Betfocus, LightningBet, and TempleBet, remedial directions have been issued, meaning the providers will be required by law to commission an independent audit of their systems and implement any resulting recommendations. The ACMA says failure to comply is an offense and can result in civil penalties.
Tabcorp Holdings has paid a penalty of $112,680 and has agreed to enter into a court-enforceable undertaking which requires the company to commission a third-party review of its customer verification processes and train staff on their obligations around the Register.
BetChamps was given a formal warning and the ACMA is currently finalising enforcement action for Picklebet.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
The post Six wagering providers breach gambling self-exclusion rules, ACMA says appeared first on ReadWrite.