British online gaming company 888 Holdings has declared a special dividend for the fifth year in a row as full-year pretax profit surged 82%.
888 Holdings said its profits were driven by strong performances in its sportsbetting and casino businesses.
The group, which operates 888 casino, poker, sport and bingo brands, said it was recommending a final dividend of 5.1 cents per share along with an additional one-off 10.5 cents per share for 2016.
The additional payout would bring the total to 19.4 cents per share, including an interim dividend of 3.8 cents announced in August.
888 and casino operator Rank Group pursued a deal last year to snap up William Hill as the gambling industry has been pressured by higher taxes and tighter regulation, while a series of mergers intensified competition.
However, William Hill rejected the takeover proposals.
The company said revenue at its casino division rose 21%, while the sports unit's revenue grew 49%.
Total group revenue rose 13% $520.8m, while the company's pre-tax profit rose to $59.2m from $32.5m a year earlier.
