UK bookmaker William Hill has posted an 11% rise in annual pretax profit, led by growth in its online business and payout gains from more draws being played on Christmas English Premier League soccer games.
William Hill, which named a new chief executive and a finance head last year, said adjusted operating profit for the 52 weeks to December 26 rose to £291.3m from £261.5m in 2016.
Revenue from online business grew 13%, while adjusted profit surged 34%.
Its gross win margin, which was soft in the first half, benefited from favourable sporting results in the fourth quarter to rise to 7.6%.
Four out of eight Premier League matches ended in a draw on December 26 compared with one in 2016.
In the Football Association (FA) Cup, football clubs Chelsea and West Ham United were forced to play extra round of games after failing to get results in two rounds, helping bookmakers to earn from them.
However, William Hill, which bought into the Australian market in 2013 that has been hit by adverse tax and regulatory changes, said the unit is undergoing a strategic review which is expected to conclude by mid-2018.
