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Ladbrokes owner Entain repays some furlough after outcry
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Entain, the video gaming giant which owns Ladbrokes, is to repay ₤ 44m of the furlough cash it claimed throughout the pandemic, however keep ₤ 57.5 m.
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Carolyn Harris MP called it "absolutely outrageous" that Entain was not repaying it all, regardless of soaring profits.

The group made ₤ 393m in pre-tax revenue in 2021, up 125% on the year before.
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It stated the furlough plan had assisted to secure 14,000 tasks, and a "more certain medium-term outlook" made the partial repayment possible.
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Entain has around 3,000 wagering shops in the UK branded Ladbrokes or Coral - which it needed to close for large parts of 2020 and 2021 due to the fact that of coronavirus limitations.

However, punters did not stop betting, they merely moved online. Entain's online service grew quickly, and helping to press the group's profits up 8% last year.

In response to a BBC News story in January, Entain to repay the money it had received under the furlough plan, with previous Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith stating the company should "instantly hand the money back to the UK taxpayer".
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Entain has actually stated previously that the circumstance was "under review". On Thursday, it announced that it would return the ₤ 44m it declared in 2021, however keep the ₤ 57.5 m it claimed in 2020.

Labour MP Carolyn Harris, chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, said