£3.6bn revenue worth a gamble

ONLINE SPORTS BET BOOST FOR ENTAINI

- Edited by GRAHAM HISCOTT

CORAL and Ladbrokes owner Entain has revealed a surge in online gaming as popular sporting events such as Wimbledon and the men’s football Club World Cup reeled in punters.

The sports betting giant reported total net gaming revenues - the amount of money the firm pockets after paying out winnings - of £2.6billion for the first six months of the year, excluding its US operations.

This was 6% higher than the same period a year ago, at constant currency rates.

The increase jumped to 8% in the UK and Ireland, the company’s biggest market, while online sales in the region surged by a fifth year on year.