Entain, the FTSE 100 gambling group, has been rebuffed by the former bosses of bookmakers Coral and Sky Bet in its search for a new chief executive.
Sky News has learned that Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, approached Andy Hornby, who now runs Wagamama’s parent company, and Richard Flint, who holds a portfolio of roles, about the job.
Industry sources said Dan Taylor, chief executive of Flutter Entertainment’s international operations, was also among the potential candidates for the role.
Entain, which has been under increasing pressure from activist investors over its poor performance, declined to comment on Friday.
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Last month it said that Barry Gibson, its chairman, would retire later this year and be replaced by interim chairman Stella David.
The company fired Jette Nygaard-Andersen, its former chief executive, late last year.
News of his approaches to Hornby, former chief executive of HBOS and Boots The Chemist, and Flint, who ran Sky Bet for several years, is not surprising given investor demands for a leader with extensive experience in gambling sector.
Flint recently told Sky News business presenter Ian King that he was not interested in the Entain role, despite having resigned as a non-executive director at Flutter.
“Ignore what other bookmakers might say or the odds they might offer – I’m really enjoying the package of things I have at the moment,” he said.
Entain, which has seen its shares fall by nearly half over the past 12 months, has hired bankers to sell PartyPoker and other non-core operations.
In addition to Ladbrokes, Entain owns Coral and a stake in BetMGM, a major US betting player.
Entain has endured a torrid time as activists built an increasingly prominent position on its share registry.
The company has faced a deluge of regulatory problems, triggering harsh criticism of its governance and business practices.
Entain shares were trading at around 797.4 pence on Friday afternoon, giving the company a market capitalization of £5 billion.
Hornby could not be reached for comment.
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