GVC Retains Membership of DJSI

RNS Number : 6151F

GVC Holdings PLC

17 November 2020

 

17 November 2020

GVC Holdings PLC

("GVC" or the "Group")

GVC Retains Membership of Dow Jones Sustainability Index

GVC Holdings, the global sports-betting and gaming group, (to be renamed Entain plc) is pleased to announce that it has retained its position as a member of Dow Jones Sustainability Index for Europe (DJSI), following the results of the DJSI's annual review. The award reiterates the Group's approach to operating responsibly and its new Sustainability Charter (see notes to editors), which was unveiled on 12 November.

Launched in 1999, the DJSI represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability, tracking leading sustainability-driven companies based on analysis of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors as well as S&P DJI's robust index methodology.  Through a consistent, rules-based methodology, the analysis looks at an average of 600 data points per company into one overall score to determine index inclusion. GVC is the only European gambling Group within the index.

In addition to its membership of the DJSI, the Group also recently announced it had retained its position as a constituent member of the FTSE4Good Index as well as independent verification of its global carbon emission by the Carbon Trust. The Group's commitment to responsible gambling was also recognised last week, with GVC named as Safer Gambling Operator of the Year, at the EGR Operator Awards.

Robert Hoskin, GVC's Chief Governance Officer said :

"Last week in unveiling our Sustainability Charter, recognising that the most successful companies are the most sustainable.  We are committed to pursuing the highest standards of corporate governance, providing outstanding career development opportunities for our colleagues and to supporting the communities in which we operate. We are delighted to have this commitment recognised through our continued membership of the DJSI."

Manjit Jus, Global Head of ESG Research and Data, S&P Global:

"We congratulate GVC for being included in the DJSI. A DJSI distinction is a reflection of being a sustainability leader in your industry. With a record number of companies participating in the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment and more stringent rules for inclusion this year, this sets GVC apart and rewards your continued commitment to people and the planet."

ENDS

Notes

Investor Relations GVC Holdings PLC
David Lloyd-Seed, Director of Investor Relations & External Communications Jennifer Spencer, Investor Relations Manager	Tel: [phone] [e-mail]
Media GVC Holdings PLC Jay Dossetter, Head of ESG and Press Office Tessa Curtis, Head of Media Relations	Tel: [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail]
Powerscourt Rob Greening / Elly Williamson	Tel: [phone] [e-mail]

 

 

Notes to editors

 

Sustainability: a new charter to ensure our long-term success

On 12 November 2020 the Group unveiled its new Sustainability Charter that is based around five cornerstones:

 

Sustainability Charter

1.  An exclusive focus on regulated markets

By the end of 2023, 100% of our revenues will be from regulated markets, which means that we are exiting markets in which there are currently no viable paths to regulation.  By the end of 2020, 99% of our revenue will be from nationally regulated or regulating markets, and we will work closely with regulatory authorities in the remaining 1% towards the highest regulatory standards.  If it becomes apparent that regulation in those markets is unlikely, we will exit them.

 

2.  Continuing to take the lead on responsible gambling

Ensuring the highest possible levels of player safety and protection is the best way of guaranteeing our long-term success.  Our technology enables us to continuously upgrade and personalise our protections for customers.  As such we have launched our Advanced Responsibility & Care ("ARC") programme.  We will proactively implement a number of additional checks on customers at various thresholds in the customer journey.

 

3.  Embedding Responsible Gambling into remuneration

From 2021 a responsible gambling metric is being incorporated into our annual group wide bonus conditions.

 

4.  Pursuing the highest standards of corporate governance

We recognise that to be a world-leading company we need to adhere to the highest standards of governance in all areas of our operations.  Our board has been strengthened and revitalised over the last two years, notably with Barry Gibson becoming Chairman in February 2020.  We now have a robust corporate governance structure and policies in place that befit our status as a FTSE 100 company.  As the board and nominations committee is focused on bringing greater diversity to the organisation, it is anticipated that further changes will be made to the board's membership in due course.

 

5.  Investing in our people and local communities

We have a long history of recruiting, retaining and nurturing the best people in our industry as well as a commitment to diversity, looking after our people, and creating the best place to work.

 

We are proud to be able to contribute to the wider communities in which we operate, through the Entain Foundation, which is committed to donating £100 million over the next five years including our new Pitching In programme that supports grass roots sports and sports people.

 

 

About GVC Holdings PLC

GVC Holdings PLC (LSE:GVC) (to be renamed Entain plc) 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, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds and Sportingbet; Gaming Brands include CasinoClub, Foxy Bingo, Gala, Gioco Digitale, partypoker and PartyCasino. The Group owns proprietary technology across all of 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 also entered into a joint-venture with MGM Resorts to capitalise on the sports-betting and gaming opportunity in the US. The Group is tax resident in the UK with licenses in more than 20 countries, across five continents.

For more information see the Group's website: www.gvc-plc.com  

 

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