Bookies’ profits down 15%

Ian Guider

Accounts just filed by the company, which is the subject of a takeover bid in Britain, show profits before interest and tax fell from E2.6 million to just over E2.2m in the year to May 2, 2004.

Turnover for the year shot up by nearly 30% to E111.2m, the accounts show. The amount paid out to winning customers increased from 84.1m to 108.8m, eroding Stanley's gross win margin by around 1% and indicating that punters got the best of the bookies over the period.