The general director of betting site Bet365, Denise Coates, received more than 260 million pounds (1.96 billion reais at current exchange rates) this year, an increase of 66%. Coates is the richest woman in the United Kingdom, with a fortune estimated at US$7.9 billion (R$44.15 billion) by Forbes, and has further cemented her position as one of the country’s highest-paid executives.
Coates was paid a salary of £104million, according to newly submitted accounts for the year ending March 30.
In addition, she received a portion of the dividends distributed to family shareholders last year, which totaled £313.6 million, up from £110 million in 2024. Coates was entitled to at least half of the dividends due to her majority stake in the company.
As a result, the billionaire’s total annual salary increased by 66%, from £150 million in 2024 to at least £260.8 million. It far exceeds the earnings paid to Eamonn O’Hare, boss of the telecommunications group Zegona, who received £131 million.
Coates has earned more than £2.7 billion from Bet365 over the past 15 years after overseeing its growth to become a giant in the betting site industry. However, the income paid to the billionaire this year is not a record. In 2020, she received a total payment of £421 million.
His most recent salary and dividends were awarded before UK Chancellor and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves targeted the gaming industry in last month’s Budget. It increased the tax on sports betting to 25% and that on online gaming and casinos from 25% to 40% starting in April.
Bet365 did not reveal how much the tax increase would cost it, but Flutter, owner of Paddy Power, said it could face a loss of US$540 million (3.02 billion reais), while Entain, owner of Ladbrokes, and Evoke, owner of William Hill, estimated the possible bill at £200 million (1.51 billion reais) and £135 million. (1.02 billion reais). respectively.
Coates owned a small chain of stores in 1995 and purchased the Bet365 domain from eBay in 2000 after realizing the potential of online betting and convincing his father to mortgage his bookmaker network to fund the initial investment in internet betting. The company divested itself of all its physical operations in 2005.
The most recent accounts show Bet365 reported a pre-tax profit of £338.5 million between April 2024 and March 2025, a 43% drop on the previous year. Revenue increased from £3.69 billion (27.87 billion reais) to £4.03 billion (30.44 billion reais).
The group paid £353.6m in dividends for the year ended March, but £40m was linked to a distribution linked to the group’s spin-off of the Stoke City football team, which is now under the control of Coates’ brother John. This left £313.6 million in cash dividends for shareholders.
Bet365’s accounts did not directly mention its decision to leave the Chinese market at the end of March. The group does not disclose the geographic distribution of its activities, but analysts believe that the Chinese “gray market” constitutes an important source of revenue for the group and potentially constitutes its second market after the United Kingdom.
The exit from China has also fueled speculation that the Coates family could consider selling the business, after reports speculated about a possible full or partial sale that could value it at £9 billion. Bet365 has not commented on these reports.
The family are one of the UK’s biggest taxpayers, with Bet365 reporting they contributed £481.5 million to the Treasury in 2025, including tax on dividends. The company made £137.8 million in charitable donations during the year, the majority of which went to the Denise Coates Foundation, which supports other charities.
About The Author
