Betting company 888 Holdings benefited from lockdown boredom. With nothing else to do for most of the of the year, people used their phones to bet on sports and play casino games. However, the easing of lockdowns will make it difficult to maintain the past year’s momentum, while the spectre of tightening UK gambling regulation looms.
Total revenue for the period was up 38 per cent, compared with the first half last year. Adjusted cash profits also jumped 39 per cent, which was impressive given that its marketing expenses rose 70 per cent to $170m. The UK and Italy delivered 57 per cent and 82 per cent growth, respectively.
