Flutter Entertainment is taking its social responsibility agenda into overdrive in the early stages of 2026, kickstarting new initiatives across its international portfolio of markets.
As with any major international bookmaker, the company’s marketing strategy has strongly, though not entirely, underpinned its growth across multiple markets, dating back to its origins as Paddy Power Betfair.
In the UK, one of the firm’s most notable partnerships is with the English Football League (EFL), sponsored by Sky Bet, a Flutter brand since 2020 when its then parent company, The Stars Group, was acquired by the rapidly growing PLC.
Operating a betting business in the UK may be a lucrative task when done right, but it is also a very difficult one. The industry is not in the best political situation right now, and its public image has taken a few hits as a result. Maintaining positive relations with the public and sports fans has never been more crucial.
This is a task that Flutter appears to be taking very seriously. Charitable partnerships between its brands and sports organisations have become increasingly common, like Paddy Power’s deal with the World Darts Championship (WDC) and Prostate Cancer UK, or Sky Bet’s deal with the EFL and British Heart Foundation (BHF).
EFL games delayed a minute
In the case of the latter deal, Sky Bet, the EFL and BHF have been working on a new initiative, ‘Every Minute Matters’, which encourages football fans to learn CPR to mark Heart Month, which takes place in February.
The campaign has received the support of several well known footballing names, including Jermain Defoe, Glenn Hoddle, ‘Big Sam’ Allardyce, Phil Jagielka, Fabrice Muamba, Bobby Zamora, Dion Dublin, and most recently, Micah Richards, a long-time partner of Sky Bet.
“It’s incredible to see the line-up of legends and players getting behind the campaign this Heart Month and there’s no one bigger than Micah,” said Tom Lockyer, Every Minute Matters ambassador and Bristol Rovers centre back, who suffered cardiac arrest while playing for Luton Town in the Premier League in 2023.
“This campaign really is building an army of lifesavers, with every single EFL club united in action to raise awareness of cardiac arrest,” he added. “I simply wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people who acted fast and stepped up to perform CPR.
“Learning this lifesaving skill is one of the simplest but most powerful ways you can show your heart — because when someone collapses, what you do next can save their life.”
The Every Minute Matters campaign was launched back in May 2024 at Wembley Stadium with the goal of encouraging 270,000 to learn CPR. According to Flutter, some 450,000 have now been trained in CPR, and the firm aims to eventually hit 500,000. Sky Bet has also pledged up to £3m a year to the BHF.
To hammer home the campaign’s message, the EFL has arranged for all games over the coming matchweek to be delayed by one minute – symbolising the one minute time span which could mean life or death for someone suffering cardiac arrest.
“Football has a unique ability to unite people and drive real change. This weekend, all 72 of our clubs stand together to highlight an issue that affects every community,” said Trevor Birch, CEO of the EFL.
“The Every Minute Matters campaign — and our adjusted kick-off times — are more than symbolic; they’re a call to action. We’re urging supporters across the country to take just 15 minutes to learn lifesaving CPR skills, and to inspire others to do the same. Together, football can help save lives.”
Beyond football
Charity initiatives involving betting companies and their sporting partners are of course nothing new, and Flutter is not alone in this. Entain recently extended its long-running partnerships with the Trident Leagues, for example, continuing its support for English grassroots football.
The William Hill Foundation, meanwhile, puts funds towards dementia care, community support and international relief efforts. Donation of proceeds from major racedays to charitable programmes, like veterans’ welfare charities, are also commonplace, like the Britannia Stakes.
In Flutter’s case, the initiative does showcase the significance of reach and visibility, however – outside of the Premier League, you can’t find another sporting organisation in the UK which connects with as many people as the three leagues of the EFL.
Leveraging partnerships in the right way, in a way that doesn’t just come across as tick box safer gambling or CSR exercise to the general public, will become increasingly important for the UK betting industry as it looks to improve its reputation and credibility while facing growing political scrutiny.
Flutter’s focus as a business goes far beyond just football, however. As well as announcing the expansion of the EFL, Sky Bet and BHF partnership yesterday, the firm also revealed that it is now the first ever corporate partner of Cure Leukaemia.
The company anticipates that it will generate £1m for Cure Leukaemia each year, supporting six clinical trials and the expansion of the Trials Acceleration Programme from 15 centres to 25.
The company states that it has already raised over $2.7m for the charity since 2023. There is still a sporting element to this, with the sponsorship of the charity’s ‘The Tour 21’ and ‘London2Paris’ cycling events.
Kerry McNally, Flutter’s Group Head of Communities and Engagement, said: “This partnership brings together two things that matter deeply to our people. The power of sport to bring communities together and the belief that everyone deserves access to better health outcomes.
“What makes this so powerful is that it is driven by our colleagues. Their energy, commitment, and willingness to push themselves to make a difference. Becoming Cure Leukaemia’s first global partner allows us to scale that collective effort and deliver real impact for patients around the world.”
As the dynamics of betting marketing, partnerships and CSR change in line with regulatory and tax developments, operators may find that charitable initiatives like the ones embraced by Flutter will become even more valuable.
The industry is facing a lot of criticism right now regarding its societal impacts, some justified and some not – though how you interpret that is very subjective. The black market is also often referenced as an example of the dangerous alternative to the regulated industry.
However, the industry needs to go beyond this – it cannot just cite the black market as the bad example, it needs to present itself as the good example. Building up positive branding and making a positive societal impact needs to be high on the regulated industry’s agenda if it wants to achieve progress.
Flutter Entertainment is taking its social responsibility agenda into overdrive in the early stages of 2026, kickstarting new initiatives across its international portfolio of markets. As with any major international bookmaker, the company’s marketing strategy has strongly, though not entirely, underpinned its growth across multiple markets, dating back to its origins as Paddy Power Betfair.