Ladbrokes hails World Cup boost

Bookmaker Ladbrokes today celebrated a jump in winnings after declaring the World Cup the biggest betting event in the company’s history.

The gambling firm, reporting its first results since splitting from Hilton Hotels in February, enjoyed a gross win of £17.5m (€25.9m) during the tournament.

It helped boost overall winnings by 12% to £523.1m (€774.1m) as the firm cheered good results at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Ascot race meetings. Operating profits from continuing businesses rose 12.3% to £151.3m (€223.9m) in the six months to the end of June.

Ladbrokes also unveiled plans to invest €100m in setting up new betting shops, internet and telephone gambling operations in Italy.