Digital net revenue decreased by 12 per cent due to the softer online gambling market post border closures and the tougher cost-of-living pressures. For the half, Tabcorp’s digital revenue decreased by 9 per cent, while Sportsbet and Entain lost 1 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively.

Rytenskild said he was confident Tabcorp’s current three-year strategy would pay off despite the one-off retail boost and weakened digital performance last financial year, arguing the business increased its overall market share over the year.

“The digital market has declined from its COVID-19 highs. The question of how Tabcorp would come out of COVID-19 was always going to be about whether we’d lose market share; instead we grew total share. We’ve disrupted the market,” Rytenskild said.

Tabcorp announced parting chief financial officer Daniel Renshaw would be replaced by Damien Johnston on an interim basis – subject to probity approvals – from September. The business said Renshaw would step down at the end of this month due to “personal reasons”.