Sky Bet shifts some jobs from the UK to Malta
Some have linked the move to the expectation of a rise in gambling tax in the UK.
UK.- Flutter Entertainment has confirmed that it has moved some jobs at Sky Bet to Malta. The news comes after the company outlined plans to also close dozens of Paddy Power betting shops in the UK.
Some have commented that the move may be linked to the expectation of a rise in British gambling tax in the Autumn Budget to be announced next week. However, Sky Bet will still pay British taxes on its local operations.
The move also follows a change in the Irish operator’s strategy, which has seen the British market lose importance to a degree. Flutter moved its main stock market listing to New York in May 2024 due to the increasing importance of its US brand Fan Duel.
ITV News says that staff in seven cities, including three locations in the UK, were informed about the location earlier this year via video call. The move began in June, with some commercial and marketing roles moving to Malta after the operator migrated Sky Bet onto the same technology platform as its other brands. It now employs over 750 people at its commercial centre in Malta.
Flutter says Sky Bet continues to have employees in the UK in London, Sunderland and Leeds. The latter had been home to its main offices since 2010.
Flutter noted that as a group it still employs over 5,000 people in the UK including almost 2,000 in Leeds and 600 in Sunderland. Sky Bet is part of the Sky Betting & Gaming group alongside Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Poker and Sky Bingo.
Flutter suggested that the move may have been partly influenced by changes in British gambling regulation following the Gambling White Paper of 2023 and that it will have some tax implications, but it stressed that Sky Bet will still have to comply with British regulation for its gaming offering in the country and will still pay UK corporation tax on its profits.
