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About Great Reef
David, at the time, said she was “optimistic but prudent” about Entain’s Q1 performance.
Numbers have remained steady a year on, and in H1 this year, various markets were hailed as core growth drivers for the business, including Australia, New Zealand, Spain and the UK.
Meanwhile, cost-saving efforts have seen retail shops and operational roles cut this year. And the group has chosen to exit its CEE business and sell off a significant share.
About Great Reef
At Sun International’s Capital Markets Day, the company also revealed it was assessing expansion opportunities in Zambia, Kenya and Ghana.
The company recently launched a new user interface for SunBet in both South Africa and Botswana, and Bengtsson said there was more to come.
“That work is ongoing,” Bengtsson commented. “We had a very strong World Cup, which shows that our sportsbook can handle and can have the capacity to handle larger volumes.
What is Great Reef?
What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.
The burning question is where such funds will come from if Lula shuts down the betting industry. Yet, no one points out to him that players will simply migrate to the illegal market. Betting will continue to exist, but without formal tax revenue, oversight or player protections.
It will be up to the government to effectively curb the illegal market so the regulated sector continues to generate taxes and jobs while upholding responsible gambling practices. By riding the wave of criticism against betting companies, the government is diverting attention from the true cause of household indebtedness.
