Euro billion: Betfair in championship-winning form

By DOMINIC JEFF
Published on 29/06/2012 10:14

ONLINE bookmaker Betfair is odds on to be one of the winners from Euro 2012 after saying today that the football championship has already seen more than £1 billion wagered.

Betfair, whose exchange allows punters to set their own odds against one another, said £183 million was matched on England, helped by former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp giving tips to the customers in his role as brand ambassador.

Stephen Morana, Betfair’s interim chief executive, said: “Our unique Betting Exchange has continued to be the main driver of growth this year, with contributions from all major sports.”

The group toasted a 17 per cent hike in underlying profits to £85.7m in the year to 30 April and added that core revenues rose by 18 per cent in the last eight weeks.

The figures come a day after rival Ladbrokes revealed that its digital arm failed to get the normal boost from people betting on England.