Ladbrokes Cheltenham Festival Betting Bonanza

Bookmakers Ladbrokes Cheltenham Festival betting bonanza resulted in pretax profit in the first four months of the year which rose by 5 pct after favourable horseracing results at the Cheltenham Festival and strong growth in online and telephone betting pushed total gambling revenues up by 11 pct.

Cheltenham Gold Cup Ante Post Betting

In a trading statement, the company said the outlook for the rest of the year is positive, with betting expected to increase thanks to a series of high-profile summer sporting events.

'As we approach the busiest part of the sporting year, with the Epsom Derby meeting, the World Cup in Germany and Royal Ascot to look forward to, I am confident about the prospects for the business,' chief executive Christopher Bell said.

Ladbrokes was created in February after former parent Hilton Group PLC sold its hotels business to US namesake Hilton Hotels Corporation in order to concentrate on its gambling interests. The company owns the UK's biggest chain of betting shops.

Other Cheltenham Festival News

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16 Mar 2006	Moscow Flyer passes Baton to Newmill
14 Mar 2006	Brave Inca Very Brave
14 Mar 2006	Hardy Eustace Treble Bid
13 Mar 2006	Cheltenham Festival Live TV over the Internet
13 Mar 2006	Mullins Bumper Jockey Plans
13 Mar 2006	Hardy Eustace in first time visor
13 Mar 2006	VCbet 60 Years £60 Free Bet Offer
12 Mar 2006	17 Line up for Champion Hurdle
10 Mar 2006	Hedgehunter to run in the Gold Cup