Entain Launches First Global Impact Diversity & Inclusion Initiative

"EnTrain" Seeks to Support One Million People by 2030

10 November 2021: Entain, the global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment group has today unveiled EnTrain, a new multi-million-pound global initiative to increase access to technology and improve diversity. The goal is to positively impact the lives of over 1,000,000 people around the world, either directly or through their families and dependents, by 2030.

This marks the first global, strategic commitment from the Entain Foundation to contribute to the international communities in which it operates, with a single initiative supporting people across all under-represented groups. It builds on programmes launched earlier this year by the Foundation to support women in technology.

The programme is launched today at "Entain Sustain", the Group's first ESG event to showcase its leadership in this important area of corporate responsibility and to outline new initiatives and commitments.

"Entain is an ambitious business and sustainability is one of our two core strategic pillars. It benefits our customers and is also good for our business and the wider communities we are part of," said Jette Nygarrd-Andersen, Chief Executive of Entain. "I believe passionately that we have a vital role to play in inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in technology. As we re-shape the future of interactive entertainment, we also want to help many more people become involved. Our new EnTrain initiative provides the building blocks to help them, through access to academic and vocational courses and the technological expertise and equipment they need to succeed."

The EnTrain initiative is comprised of four core pillars:

·    Entain Academy: Supplying transformative technology training for the next generation

·    Entain Scholarships: Providing the platform for a diverse selection of candidates to become digital pioneers

·    Entain Apprenticeships: Upskilling and developing our existing employees, and expanding external apprenticeship schemes with new and existing partners

·    Entain Partnerships: Partnering and collaborating with organisations around the world who amplify and support diversity in technology

The new global partnerships, announced today as part of EnTrain, aim to provide opportunities for under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the communities in which Entain operates - across the UK, Europe, Australia, and the Americas:

·    The Entain Foundation is funding nine apprentices with YGAM (the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust) in the UK. The apprenticeships, which will start before the end of 2021, range from one to four years in duration. These aim to provide employees at YGAM opportunities to develop new skills in coaching, leadership, and project management.

Daniel Bliss, Director of External Affairs at YGAM, has said of the partnership: "We are extremely grateful for this support from Entain. This initiative will support our ambitious people strategy and help develop the expertise of our staff team. As a result, our charity will be better equipped to continue our growth and increase our social impact."

·    In Europe, the Entain Foundation is funding a partnership with the Berlin University of Technology and the Nexus Institute, to develop an international executive training programme to enhance diversity in research and development. The programme, aimed at technology managers, founders and start-ups, as well as R&D personnel in the private sector, higher education and research organisations, supports the globally recognised concept of Gendered Innovations, developed by renowned Professor, Londa Schiebinger from Stanford University. The concept of Gendered Innovations employs methods of sex, gender and intersectional analysis to create new knowledge in medicine, engineering, and ICT.

·    In the US, Entain has a scholarship partnership with the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), to support applicants looking to build careers in the online sports betting and gaming industries. The first graduate placements will work alongside software engineers and technologists working in Entain's Global Innovation Team at the Harry Reid Research and Technology Park.

·    The Entain Foundation is entering a partnership with non-profit organisation Tiempo de Juego to launch a high-performance and community-led female football team in Colombia. The programme provides an integral educational offer to 25 girls, including six football training sessions per week, three English lessons per week, and psychosocial counselling. It aims to create sports-related life projects in the country and tackle the invisible barriers that girls and women face when it comes to both practicing and competing in sports.

·    In Australia, Entain is finalising a multi-faceted strategy to deliver improved outcomes for under-represented groups in technology. Headlined by its new "Pathways Academy", Entain will partner with a cross-section of education providers to deliver enhanced pathways into technology-based industries for women, migrant workers, indigenous and neurodiverse groups.

Through existing initiatives, Entain has already helped approximately 50,000 people around the world in 2021 and EnTrain will build on this between now and 2030. This includes support via previous apprenticeships and donations to existing partners promoting diversity to under-represented groups, such as the partnership with Girls Who Code announced earlier this year.

--ENDS--

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The Entain Foundation supports a variety of worthwhile causes, including:

·      Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health alliance, Harvard Medical School
Entain is investing $5.5 million in a 5-year research project with the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. The objective of the project is to better increase our understanding of problem gambling, and thereby find ways to prevent its development where possible and find more effective approaches to treatment.

·      Girls Who Code

An international non-profit organisation working to close the gender gap in technology. Entain supports its global programmes to bring young women into the technology industry, most notably in the UK, US, Canada and India. Entain is proud to be one of Girls Who Codes' most significant global partners.

·      Tech Girls Movement Foundation Australia

An organisation which challenges gender perceptions that limit girls' participation in STEM (science, technology engineering and mathematics) through community and industry collaborations, providing mentorship by women who already have successful technology careers as well as to young women looking for careers guidance.

·      Pitching In grassroots sport investment fund
Pitching In launched at a time when football clubs and sporting organisations faced an unprecedented impact on their finances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Launched in September 2020, the multi-million-pound, multi-year, investment programme kicked-off with a flagship partnership with The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues - collectively known as The Trident Leagues - which make up levels seven and eight of the English football league pyramid.

·      SportsAid
Through our multi-year strategic partnership with SportsAid, the charity which supports aspiring athletes, and part of our Pitching In investment programme, Entain provides British athletes with financial support, recognition and personal development opportunities. Each athlete receives an annual award which contributes towards costs such as travel, accommodation and equipment. Through the partnership, Entain is helping 50 up-and-coming sports stars across the country each year.

·      Inter Milan Football Club - promoting participation in women's football
The Entain Foundation has launched a collaboration with Inter Milan Football Club to promote participation in women's football in Italy. Backed by a national media campaign, partnered with Gazzetta dello Sport, the project is developing a football-related talent show for aspiring female footballers.

·      US Fund to Support Research on Sports Wagering
The Foundation has become a Bronze Donor to the Fund to Support Research on Sports Wagering, which was recently launched by the US National Center for Responsible Gaming. The objective of this project, which is first of its kind in the US, is to competitively award researchers at top tier institutions with the resources needed to uncover novel insights into what the introduction of legalised, regulated sports betting means for public health.

·      German Sports Integrity Forum
Together with German Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and 1.FC Koeln, and the sports integrity platform, the Play Fair Code, the Entain Foundation recently launched the German Sports Integrity Forum. The aim of the Forum is to raise further awareness of sports integrity programmes in Germany and other German speaking countries.

·      Professional Players Federation

The Foundation has a partnership with the Professional Players Federation (the "PPF"), the national organisation for the professional player associations in the UK, to fund its anti-match-fixing player education programmes. The partnership enables the PPF to support the development and delivery of online learning and face-to-face education to hundreds of sportspeople in sports such as football, cricket, rugby union, golf, darts and snooker.

About the Entain Foundation

The Entain Foundation was established to coordinate and support Entain's ESG and CSR initiatives, objectives and donations around the world. The Foundation's efforts are focused on four key areas: Responsible gambling, sports integrity and gambling regulation research, education and treatment; Grass roots, women's and disability sport; diversity in technology; and Projects with a clear link to the local community in Entain's major office locations.

About Entain plc 
Entain plc (LSE: ENT) is a FTSE100 company and is one of the world's largest sports-betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports Brands include bwin, Bet.pt, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, Ninja Casino, Optibet, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis.

The Group has a joint-venture with MGM Resorts International creating a leader, BetMGM, in sports betting and iGaming in the US. Entain provides the technology which powers BetMGM and exclusive games and products, specially developed at its in-house gaming studios. The Group is tax resident in the UK with licenses in a total of 27 regulated markets. Entain is a leader in ESG, a member of FTSE4Good, the DJSI and is AA rated by MSCI. The Group has set a science-based target, committing to be carbon net zero by 2035 and through the Entain Foundation supports a variety of initiatives, focusing on safer gambling, grassroots sport, diversity in technology and community projects.

For more information see the Group's website: www.entaingroup.com