A year of regulatory hurdles has tested Flutter leadership and its reactions, but Dan Taylor, CEO of International, stands by the ‘Flutter Edge’ as the engine room to dominate all markets in flux.

At the mid-point of a decade of conflicts, Flutter Entertainment has delivered on its objective to become global gambling’s highest valued PLC.

Leadership tells SBC that its position will be strengthened by upcoming Flutter Edge advancements merging with localised expertise and trust in its brand portfolio active across all regulated continents.

H1 financial results reiterated its leading position with year-over-year revenue growth of 16% to US$4.2bn (circa €3.6bn/£3.1bn). Despite its dominant status, Flutter is not immune to the regulatory challenges the industry faces in 2025. As Dan Taylor, CEO of Flutter International, tells SBC News, ‘we’ve seen significant changes across the board’.

“In the UK, the Gambling Act Review concluded after a period of uncertainty, but there remains concerns about future taxation,” Taylor reflected on upcoming home market reckonings.

Whilst in Asia, an unexpected crossroads comes into play as “India unfortunately recently surprised the industry with a ban on real-money games, prompting us to pause operations.”

The shock ban on real-money games in India, instantly approved by the country’s legislature the same day it was introduced to the Lok Sabha, has sent shockwaves through international ranks.

Dealt a tough hand as Taylor notes, Flutter responded by pausing the activity of its Junglee online gaming brand. This brand had been performing formidably well in India’s skilled games market, which was singled out as crucial to Flutter’s 28% rise in Asia Pacific revenue in H1.

A myriad of tough decisions lies ahead for leadership as changes are also afoot in key markets like the UK and US, chiefly around taxation – a prospective merger of betting duties in the former and new taxes on bets in various states in the latter in particular.

Flutter is confident it can ride out these changes. Headwinds like these are nothing new to the company, which lauds its technical execution above competitors, boosted by its global scale and podium positions across key markets to provide a solid buffer against regulatory turbulence.

“We have seen regulatory changes almost everywhere though – it’s the nature of the market in which we operate,” Taylor says. “These shifts underscore the importance of our federated model and local leadership, which allow us to respond quickly and effectively to such dramatic change.”

How Flutter built its lead

Industry audiences will be familiar with the term ‘Flutter Edge’ – regarding the concept with admiration or perhaps envy, or a combination of both. The term, as described by Taylor, refers to Flutter’s global competitive advantage across product, technology, expertise and scale’.

The concept has, in Flutter’s own words, been crucial to its ability to not only weather regulatory storms but also build up its leadership position in the global gaming sector in periods of extreme adjustments.

“This enables us to tailor innovation and investment to each market’s needs,” he says in a summary of the Flutter Edge, while also pointing to another crucial factor in Flutter’s success.

“M&A plays a key role in localisation, especially in markets where organic scale is harder to achieve, and through our federated model, with regional segments powered by specialist hubs, we can deliver local excellence backed by global firepower.”

Similar to the Flutter Edge, gaming stakeholders will be more than aware of Flutter’s activity in the M&A sector. Barely a year goes by that the firm doesn’t expand into a new territory or vertical via M&A, with this year alone seeing the takeover of NSX in Brazil, becoming the basis for its operations there, and buckling its muscle in Italy by acquiring Snai.

M&A has shaped the company’s history, having originated as a merger between Paddy Power and Betfair before acquiring American market leader FanDuel in 2018, Georgian firm Adjarabet and international iGaming company The Stars Group in 2019, and the aforementioned Junglee in 2021.

This rapid global expansion led to a need for a strategic rethink. Leading to the creation of the Flutter International division, headed up by Taylor and encompassing all of its non-US activity.

The global regulated betting and gaming market is expected to exceed $400bn by 2030,” adds Taylor.

“Flutter’s decision to transform into two core divisions— US and International — was a strategic move to unlock this opportunity with greater precision and agility.

“The International division that I lead comprises strong local leadership teams who understand the nuances of each market — from regulation and taxation to customer preferences and payment methods. This allows us to operate through our local hero brands with speed and relevance.”

Making the ‘Flutter Edge’ local

As a result of the M&A strategy discussed above, Flutter’s brand portfolio stands above all others in terms of podium places and market share capture. A stable of tier-1 brands that many competitors struggle to keep up with, and has made the firm versatile against regulatory and taxation changes from one market to another.

If, for example, tax raises in the UK further bite into its home income, a factor that can be compensated by its leadership positions in the US and Italy. If the Junglee suspension has long-term fallout, its position in Eastern Europe or Brazil, for example, will soothe liabilities.

Joining the dots between its tech expertise and resources and its global scale is the next stop for Flutter. Localisation is key here, hardly a surprise given varied differences between different markets, whether in a regulatory or customer preference sense, or otherwise.

“Our tech evolution is driven by scale and speed,” Taylor says. “As a principle we operate with local technology teams but all leveraging the shared products and developments through access to the Flutter Edge.

“In Q2 2025, we migrated over nine million Sky Betting & Gaming customers onto our shared UK and Irish platform, a remarkable achievement that will allow those customers to benefit from our best of breed products.

“Similarly, PokerStars Italy successfully transitioned to our Southern Europe and Africa platform – a significant milestone in that region with Snai to follow.”

Flutter’s federal-esque approach presents the firm key benefits, leadership assert. Firstly is the ability for its companies to stand out in their relevant market due to the main group recognising the importance of local conditions.

This, along with other key factors like marketing and product development, have enabled companies like Sisal and Snai in Italy, Sky Bet in the UK, Sportsbet in Australia and Adjarabet in Georgia, among others, to each gain and retain a podium position.

Federated model ensures agility

Taylor emphasises that Flutter’s objective is ‘about enforcing a global solution’, but is rather about ‘empowering local brands with the tools, data and flexibility to succeed in their own context’.

“Our federated model ensures agility, while the Flutter Edge provides shared global strengths. This balance allows us to stay compliant, competitive and responsive to regulatory shifts.

“Each brand benefits from substantial local scale, which helps us absorb shocks and adapt quickly. And through our Play Well strategy, we implement tailored responsible gambling approaches that reflect local regulations and learnings from mature markets.”

As SBC’s conversation with Taylor drew to a close, it shifted to the upcoming SBC Summit in Lisbon, where Flutter International’s CEO will be speaking on a panel alongside the leadership of Super Group, Betfred, Betsson and Parimatch.

“I hope attendees take away how we balance growth with regulation, remain agile amid geopolitical uncertainty, and regulatory change to enhance customer and colleague experiences,” Taylor remarks.

“We must collectively work to protect our social license to operate and call out the threat of the black market, which undermines consumer protection and regulatory progress. Flutter is raising the bar – not just for ourselves, but for the industry. And we look forward to partnering with others to shape a sustainable future.

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