Betfred Annual Turnover Close To £1 Billion
Betfred has reported turnover of £996m for its latest financial year, falling just short of the £1bn mark, with the company’s retail betting estate remaining the primary contributor to group revenue. According to accounts recently lodged with Companies House and covered by industry press, the bookmaker recorded a profit after tax of £39.6m for the period ended 29 March 2026.
The results cover a standard 52-week accounting period, in contrast to the previous reporting cycle, which spanned 78 weeks and closed in March 2025. That extended period produced turnover of £1.45bn, meaning a direct year-on-year comparison requires normalisation. On a pro-rata 52-week basis, the prior period’s revenue equates to approximately £965m, suggesting broadly stable trading across the group.
The reported profit after tax of £39.6m represents a return to positive territory after a challenging prior cycle, during which the group posted a £71.7m loss for the financial year ended 1 October 2023, despite turnover growth of 25.6% to £908m.
The latest figures underscore the enduring importance of Betfred’s high-street estate. Retail operations have consistently accounted for the majority of group revenue, with betting shops contributing just under £577m of turnover in the 2022-23 period alone. The company, founded by Fred Done in 1967 as a single shop in Salford, continues to operate more than 1,300 betting shops, positioning it among the largest independent retail bookmakers in the UK.
This retail weighting distinguishes Betfred from many online-first competitors and provides a stable, cash-generative base, though it also exposes the business to fixed property costs and regulatory change.
The results arrive amid significant pressure on the UK retail betting sector. In August 2026, Betfred announced plans to close 132 shops, citing changes to the UK tax regime. The company has also withdrawn from the US sports betting market, a strategic retreat that analysts noted contributed to improved group profitability by ending sustained investment losses.
Founder Fred Done has publicly warned that a doubling of Machine Games Duty could threaten hundreds of further shop closures and thousands of jobs, framing the fiscal environment as an existential risk to the retail betting model.
