Dan Taylor started as Group Chief Executive of Flutter Entertainment on 1 October 2026, taking over from Peter Jackson, who stepped down on 30 September after nearly nine years in the role.
Taylor marked the handover with a LinkedIn post that put growth at the centre of his opening message. He wrote that the industry is “still in the early innings” and has “huge growth potential across the world.”
“I wouldn’t swap our hand for anyone else’s. We have exceptional brands, fantastic products, hugely talented teams, and a deep understanding of our customers and markets,” Taylor wrote.
Jackson will stay on as an adviser until the end of the year to support the transition, according to Flutter.
An internal succession
Flutter’s board, chaired by John Bryant, announced the appointment on 5 August, alongside the group’s second-quarter results. Taylor has been with Flutter for 11 years and was appointed Flutter President in May 2026, while also running the International division as its chief executive.
That division covers every Flutter market outside the US. According to Flutter, it generated more than $9 billion in revenue and more than $2.2 billion in Adjusted EBITDA in 2025.
Taylor joined in 2015 as Managing Director for UK & Ireland and for Retail, a role he held until 2018. He then took global responsibility for the Paddy Power, Betfair and Adjarabet brands between 2018 and 2020. At the International division, he led organic growth and M&A across UK & Ireland, Southern Europe & Africa, and Central & Eastern Europe, and Flutter credits him with contributing to more than $300 million in realised synergies.
John Bryant, Chair of the Board, backed the choice when the appointment was announced.
“The Board is pleased to appoint Dan as Flutter’s next Group Chief Executive Officer,” Bryant said, adding that the board has “every confidence that he is the right person to lead Flutter into its next phase of growth.”
In his first-day post, Taylor also thanked his predecessor directly, saying the two had “worked very closely together since his first day as CEO” and that he had “learned an enormous amount from his leadership and coaching along the way.” He closed with a short line: “Lets get started.”
Jackson’s nine years
Jackson joined the Betfair board in 2013 and became chief executive of the merged Paddy Power Betfair a few years later. In his own farewell post, published on his last day, he listed the deals that defined his tenure.
“We took a chance on FanDuel when plenty of people thought we were slightly crazy. We brought Paddy Power Betfair and The Stars Group together just as Covid hit,” Jackson wrote.
FanDuel became the base of Flutter’s US operation, while the combination with The Stars Group added PokerStars and Sky Betting & Gaming to the portfolio. Jackson wrote that “the company I joined became the global leader it is today,” and that he now plans to spend more time with his family and on his bike before deciding what comes next.
“It has been the privilege of my career to lead Flutter,” he wrote.
Guidance cut on announcement day
Taylor takes charge after a difficult quarter. The succession was announced on the same day Flutter cut its full-year 2026 guidance. Revenue guidance was reduced by $395 million to a $17.91 billion midpoint, and the Adjusted EBITDA target was lowered by $210 million to $2.655 billion.
Flutter cited pressure on US revenue, changes to the NFL schedule and planned investment in the FanDuel sportsbook. For the second quarter, the group reported revenue of $4.326 billion, up 3% year on year, while Adjusted EBITDA fell 45% to $508 million. It posted a net loss of $296 million, compared with a $37 million profit in the same quarter of 2025.
Competition in North America remains intense. DraftKings, FanDuel’s main rival, recently signed an exclusive NHL on Prime deal in Canada.
What comes next
Taylor’s background is international, and he now also oversees FanDuel and the US business. His first test with investors will be Flutter’s third-quarter results, the last period covered by Jackson’s tenure, and any update on whether the reduced 2026 guidance holds.
Taylor described himself as “still learning every day” and said he was ready “to face into the next set of challenges and opportunities.” How he balances FanDuel investment against margin pressure, and where he points the International division’s M&A appetite, will set the tone for his first year.
Source: Flutter Entertainment
