Denise Coates, the billionaire founder and CEO of Bet365, earned a substantial £280 million in pay and dividends for the fiscal year ending in March 2025, despite a notable decline in the company’s profits.

Financial records indicate that Bet365’s turnover increased to £4.4 billion up 9% on the previous year. However, pre-tax profits dropped significantly from £627 million the previous year to £349 million, largely due to a £325 million increase in operational costs as the company restructured its international presence.

This strategy involves further expansion into the US and South America while withdrawing from China, where online betting is not permitted.

During this fiscal period, Coates received a salary of £104 million and, as the majority shareholder, is entitled to a portion of a £353.6 million dividend distribution. This brings her total income from Bet365 to a minimum of £280 million, marking an increase from £150 million the previous year, although it remains below her peak earnings of £469 million in 2021.

Since establishing Bet365 in Stoke-on-Trent, she has amassed over £2.5 billion in compensation and dividends. Coates’ remuneration has faced significant scrutiny over the years; however, advocates highlight that she refrains from employing aggressive tax avoidance strategies and is among the UK’s top individual taxpayers.

In addition, Bet365 contributed £130 million to the Denise Coates Foundation during the year, although earlier reports have indicated that the tax relief associated with these donations could surpass the charity’s expenditures to date.

The company also forgave loans to Stoke City Football Club, which has been separated from the group and is now managed by Coates’s brother, John.

The accounts did not mention any purported negotiations regarding a potential £9 billion sale of Bet365. Moreover, Bet365 reported £59 million in one-time restructuring costs related to its departure from “certain markets,” primarily referring to China, although betting operations there continued until late March. This transition is viewed as essential to mitigate regulatory concerns as the company intensifies its expansion in the US, having entered five new states during the year and now operating in a total of 16 states following the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling to lift the federal ban on sports betting.