GOOD GORD THAT'S A BIT RICH PADDY

Betting firm rakes in £2.45bn profit days after Brown tax call

- BY GRAHAM HISCOTT

THE owner of Paddy Power has raised its profit predictions, days after Gordon Brown called for new taxes on gambling giants to tackle a child poverty crisis.

Industry giant Flutter forecasts its annual profits will surge by about 40 per cent to £2.45billion.

The world's largest online sports betting company, which also owns Betfair and Sky Bet, is toasting an excellent quarter to July.

The bumper results come as Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to rule out imposing higher taxes on betting firms.

It followed former Labour PM Brown's intervention when he urged Reeves to use the levy to raise £3.2billion to tackle child poverty.