Entain has reported a drop in net gaming revenue (NGR) for Q1 2021. The decline in NGR is mainly due to the closure of its retail venues during the period as a result of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions.

The FTSE 100 company, which owns the Ladbrokes and Coral brands, said total net gaming revenue fell 13%, even as online revenue leapt by a third.

The group said it is looking forward to a return to more normal business as betting shops in parts of the country reopened last week.

“There are competing leisure activities, with restaurants and cinemas opening up,” Chief Financial Officer Rob Wood said.

Underscoring the shift in betting habits, Grand National, which took place on April 10, was Britain’s biggest ever online sports betting event as punters turned to mobile apps to bet on one of the world’s most famous horse racing events.

“It is a real shame that shops couldn’t be open for it. It typically attracts customers who don’t necessarily have an online gambling app on the phone,” Wood said.

Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laura Hoy said that while the surge in internet gambling might wane eventually, “we expect that some customers will have shifted online permanently.”

Entain, which rebuffed a takeover approach from its U.S. joint venture partner MGM earlier this year, last month kept its dividend suspended despite a profit jump, citing the pandemic.

Entain, the leading global sports betting and gaming entertainment group, has launched a share ownership plan for over 22,500 employees. The group-wide plan will allow employees in the UK and abroad to profit from the growth of Entain’s global business.

Around 22,500 employees at all levels of the business can now apply to join Entain’s ShareSave plan. In the UK, where Entain has 2885 Ladbrokes and Coral shops, almost 14,000 retail workers can apply for the plan. By starting monthly contributions at just £5 or more, Entain hopes to put share ownership within reach of everyone, including people across its international operations.

Entain said ShareSave will initially be offered to colleagues working in countries representing around 99% of its workforce, also including the Philippines, India and Bulgaria. The company said it had initially placed a £100 monthly cap on contributions to reflect the truly global nature of its business and currency differences across the workforce, with the aim of maximising the appeal to all colleagues.

“Entain has been one of the highest performing companies in the FTSE-100 over the past year, which is the result of hard work and efforts from teams across our international business. Building a strong customer-centric culture where everyone contributes and shares in our continuing success is really important, so this plan is designed to be attractive and accessible to all,” Jette Nygaard-Andersen, Chief Executive of Entain, said.

Under the terms of the ShareSave plan, colleagues can choose to save a monthly sum from £5 to £100 over three years. At the end of this period, they will have the opportunity to buy shares in Entain for 20% less than their market value at the start of the invitation period, which they can sell for a potential profit. Alternatively, they can retain the stock as shareholders in the company, or simply take their savings back.

Wakayama prefecture is going to announce its selected operator candidate for an integrated resort by the end of this month.

The prefecture stopped accepting RFP documentation from candidate operators on January 15, receiving applications from just two candidates – Suncity Group Holdings Japan Co Ltd and Clairvest Neem Ventures (Tokyo). Wakayama had established a selection committee consisting of nine experts with the intention of naming a preferred operator in spring.

Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka has been enthusiastic about opening an IR and, according to sources, was actively taking in the opinions of those around him in his considerations. A rapid increase in coronavirus infections across Japan has also seen the IR project take a backseat in the short-term.

The prefecture’s IR Promotion Office said: “We can only answer that a decision will be made in Spring based on the examination of the selection committee.” They added, “Nagasaki has just entered its second round of examinations and Yokohama is still only in the RFP stage,” emphasising the fact that Wakayama will still be the first location to settle on its IR operator partner once the decision has been made public.