High Street and online bookmaker and gaming firm Betfred achieved wagering revenues of £8.8bn over the last financial year, up from almost £7bn the year before, and made nearly £38m in pre-tax profits, up from £6m the previous year.
The Done family, Betfred’s billionaire owners, paid themselves a dividend of almost £51m in November 2021, although the company reported no further dividend payments for 2022.
Run by characterful founder Fred Done, who started the business with his brother Peter in 1967, the Warrington-headquartered bookie operates betting shops and online gaming in the UK, South Africa, Gibraltar and the US.
The business shut 51 shops over the course of the financial year, but still operates in 1,419 locations. The company added that loss-making shops remain under constant review.
The latest figures are impressive, but still don’t quite match up to Betfred’s pre-Covid record wagering income of £10.1bn in 2019.
The most recent Sunday Times Rich List valued Fred and Peter Done’s fortune at £1.87bn, making them them the 93rd richest people in Britain.
