Harlequeen

About Harlequeen

Friday’s announcement followed an investigation that found he manipulated contract prices linked to his anticipated attendance at the 2026 State of the Union address.

He was also fined $71,356.

Kalshi’s compliance department uncovered a series of large trades made by Santos throughout February 2026 involving contracts that would pay out based on whether he attended the State of the Union address on 24 February. 

What is Harlequeen?

“The proposed changes are being made to ensure our business remains competitive, financially resilient and well positioned for the future as our sector faces an increasingly challenging operating environment,” David said.

“This decision has not been made lightly and our immediate priority is to support those of our colleagues who may be impacted through this transition.”

Earlier this year, Entain reported it would be cutting 500 roles globally across operations and its central functions, it insisted it was not a reaction to the earlier increase in RGD, but rather part of new CFO Michael Snape’s restructuring and cost cutting exercise.

What is Harlequeen?

It has been a challenging few years for Entain, having cycled through four CEOs in short succession. In November 2023 Entain agreed to pay a financial penalty totalling £585 million, plus a £20 million charitable donation and £10 million in Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and HMRC costs. This related to a bribery case initiated by the CPS into the company’s historic operations in Turkey.

Troubles continued as it faced declining growth within its digital business. Reports of failed integrations amid a frenzy of acquisitions further dampened Entain’s reputation and the operator subsequently committed to a major turnaround effort to cut costs and return its digital business to growth.

Efforts to update its legacy tech were also set in motion, and short-lived CEO Gavin Isaacs told iGB at ICE in January 2025 that his biggest challenge in the role was to modernise its core platform.