Unibet, the European online bookmaker, said profits in the second quarter more than doubled, as the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship spurred a new record high in active subscribers.

Second-quarter net earnings for the Malta-registered group, which is active in more than 150 countries worldwide, totalled £3.5m, up 188.7 per cent on the £1.6m reported in the comparable period last year. Gross winnings revenue was up 74.4 per cent to £27.9m.

Unibet attributed the growth primarily to a surge in sports bets relating to the month-long Euro 2008 football tournament, driven by ‘live’ wagers made while matches are under way.

At June 30, 2008, the number of active Unibet customers - ‘active’ being defined as someone who has placed a bet within the last three months - totalled 316,780, compared to 221,235 at the second quarter end in 2007.

"During the first half of 2008 we have seen healthy growth for the group both in terms of gross winnings and profit from operations," commented Unibet CEO Petter Nylander. "We are on track to achieve the financial targets for 2010."