Bookmaker Ladbrokes has said profits in the first four months of this year are 13% ahead of the same period last year.
In a trading update, it said gross win - the money taken in bets minus the amount paid back in winnings - rose by 16%.
There was even stronger growth of 43% in Ireland north and south, where Ladbrokes now has 281 betting shops, including the 54 acquired from Eastwood Bookmakers in the North.
Gross win in all Ladbrokes betting shops was up 4%, with particularly strong growth in football betting.
Net revenue growth from electronic gaming was 24%. This includes sports betting, games and poker. Ladbrokes said 25 shops it had acquired in Italy were trading well.
