Denise Coates, founder and chief executive of Bet365, received a pay package of at least £280 million in the past year, making her one of Britain's highest-paid executives. The massive increase comes despite the gambling firm's pre-tax profits falling by nearly half.
Coates' total remuneration surged by more than two-thirds from £158 million the previous year. Her salary reached £104 million for the year to March 2025, while she was entitled to at least half of the £354 million in dividends paid to shareholders.
The billionaire boss has now earned over £2 billion from Bet365 in the past decade. She founded the company more than 20 years ago in a portable building in a Stoke-on-Trent car park, building it from her father's bookmaking business.
Company performance
Bet365's pre-tax profit fell to £349 million from £627 million the previous year. However, overall revenue rose by nine percent to £4 billion, driven by expansion into new markets and growth from the Euro 2024 tournament.
The company paid £482 million in tax during the year to March, up from £364 million a year earlier. Bet365 also donated £130 million to the Denise Coates Foundation, which supports charities in education, arts, culture and health.
Criticism of pay deal
Andrew Speke, director of campaign group High Pay Centre, condemned the pay package. «Denise Coates is well-liked in Stoke for being self-made and giving back to her community. But the eye-watering sums she earns go far beyond what anyone needs for a life of luxury - and her fortune comes from an industry that has caused real harm to too many people,» he said.
The gambling sector faces new financial pressures from April, when the levy on remote sports betting will rise to 25 percent and online gaming duties will jump from 25 to 40 percent.
In May, reports suggested Coates and her family were evaluating a potential sale of Bet365, which could value the company at up to £9 billion. Bet365 declined to comment on the speculation.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
