Entain has signed a three-year technology support agreement with Barron McCann covering more than 2,000 Ladbrokes and Coral locations across the UK, reinforcing the gambling group’s continued investment in its large retail betting network.
Under the agreement, Derby-based Barron McCann will provide multi-device engineering support and infrastructure lifecycle services across Entain’s high-street estate. The contract includes seven-day engineering coverage, extended operating hours and a target of repairing hardware faults within four hours.
The companies have already completed the transition to the new support arrangement. Mobilisation began roughly three months before the deal was publicly announced and continued through the 2026 FIFA World Cup period in June and July, when betting operators typically face increased demands on their retail technology.
A major focus of the partnership will be maintaining Entain’s self-service betting infrastructure, including the technology used throughout modern Ladbrokes and Coral shops.
Entain has been expanding the use of its proprietary Group BetStation platform across Ladbrokes and Coral locations in the UK and Ireland. The company describes the system as an important part of its strategy to modernise the in-store betting experience and increase customer interaction with self-service products.
Barron McCann said the Entain contract was secured following a competitive tender process. The technology services company will support equipment across the operator’s retail estate while also handling maintenance and hardware lifecycle requirements.
The investment comes at a challenging time for Britain’s betting-shop sector. Gambling Commission figures show that the number of betting shops in Great Britain stood at 5,669 between October and December 2025, down from 5,789 during April-June of the same year. Land-based betting gross gambling yield reached £613 million during the October-December quarter.
Longer-term figures also point to a shrinking retail footprint. The regulator recorded 5,825 betting shops during the 2024-25 financial year, continuing a multi-year decline in the number of licensed betting premises.
Despite those pressures, retail remains an important part of Entain’s UK operations. Ladbrokes and Coral are two of the country’s most established betting brands, and Entain has continued investing in technology intended to connect traditional betting shops with its wider digital offering.
The new support contract therefore provides another indication that Entain intends to maintain a substantial physical presence rather than treating retail betting as a declining business to be progressively abandoned.
For Barron McCann, the agreement represents a major nationwide contract covering one of Britain’s largest high-street gambling estates. For Entain, the three-year commitment provides dedicated technical infrastructure designed to limit equipment downtime and keep its increasingly technology-driven shops operational as the UK retail betting market continues to evolve.