Paddy Power reports profits up by 51%

Power Leisure, owners of Paddy Power Bookmakers, today reported a 51 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to euro 10

Power Leisure, owners of Paddy Power Bookmakers, today reported a 51 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to euro 10.6 million on turnover of euro 362.8 million.

The group's online betting service, paddypower.com, launched in June last year, has over 14,000 registered users.

Gross margin measured as bets placed (excluding betting taxes) less customers' winnings increased by 45.5 per cent to euro 46.3 million.

Paddy Power has also signed contracts with cable TV operators and Telewest for an interactive betting service in Britain. The two cable firms have a combined audience of over 840,000 viewers.