Profits leap at bet365

Pre-tax profits at Stoke, UK, based bet365 climbed by 92 per cent to £410.2m for the 12 months to March 29, after the bookmaker saw a 43 per cent rise in sports bettors.

Net profit was £327.6m as revenues rose by 15 per cent to more than £1.5bn.

The total sums wagered were up 31 per cent to £34.7bn, boosted by the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In the year to March 29, staff numbers grew by nine per cent to nearly 3,000. Bet365 remains the biggest employer in Stoke-on-Trent.