Paddy Power Betfair’s Full Year Profit Forecast Increases

Recently merged powerhouses, Paddy Power Betfair, have announced that a strong boost in Q3 will boost their underlying earnings this year to £404 million. This is a 25% increase compared to the same time period last year. Originally, the group had predicted underlying earnings for 2016 to be £365m-£385m.

The boost in sports betting is credited for the rise in profits, as there was an increase during the Euro 2016 tournament. During the conclusion of the tournament, there was a 26% rise in the sportsbooks stakes. Moreover, the weakened sterling meant major profit for the company as overseas currency values had to converted into pounds, the company made a profit of £28m.

Other revenue streams included their online platforms, which raised £222m, a 20% increase and their Australian revenue, which rose by 21% to £82m. Retail revenue rose by 19% to £76m, in the last quarter. Underlying EBITDA grew by more than 53% to £113 million. Underlying profits in the third quarter rose to £95m.

The 2 gaming operators merged in a £5bn deal in February with Breon Corcoran, appointed as the chief executive. The entities presented the report as a single company rather than 2 separate reports. Speaking after the announcement, Corcoran noted that it was a good quarter for the company. He noted that the 2 companies were now focused on combining their unique assets and building a stronger company together. Customer experience is at the forefront of their operations as they aim provide better service.

Corcoran continued by saying that they were working to combine the best of the 2 companies’ technology and turn them into “ multi-brand, multi- channel, multi-jurisdictional platform”. As the companies continue to work together, their potential could be unlocked as growth efforts are expected to move faster. New development and faster release of products are the expected outcomes of this effort.  Currently, the company owns around 600 betting shops in the UK and Ireland. They are one of Europe’s biggest online betting operators and have ventures in the US and Australia as well.