British gambling firm Entain has today forecast some regulatory headwinds this year and reported a 13% rise in its annual profit, aided by strong betting during the FIFA World Cup and the National Football League.
Gambling companies have benefited from betting shops reopening in the past year, but declining online revenue, stiffer regulation for online gambling in Britain and a cost-of-living crisis pose challenges for the industry.
Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes, Coral and bwin, still reported underlying core earnings of £993m for the year ended December 31, compared with £881.7m the same time the previous year.
Analysts on average had forecast an underlying core profit of £975m.
