Gambling tycoon Denise Coates has recently received a £260 million windfall, adding to her total payouts of £2.7 billion over the past 15 years. As the leader of Bet365, she solidifies her position as one of the highest-earning executives in the UK, particularly as a female executive, thanks to this latest significant financial gain.
According to the newly released financial reports of her family’s gambling enterprise, Coates saw a surge in her salary alone, reaching £104 million, up from £94.7 million in the previous year. Additionally, Bet365 Group tripled the cash dividends distributed to family stakeholders, totaling £313.6 million. With her majority ownership in the company, Coates is set to receive a substantial portion of this amount.
Although the £260 million windfall is slightly lower than her previous record-breaking payout of £469 million in 2021, it still surpasses the earnings of other prominent UK business leaders. Notably, Eamonn O’Hare of Zegona received £131 million, while Pascal Soriot, the CEO of AstraZeneca, took home £14.7 million in 2024. Peter Dilnot, the chief executive of Melrose Industries, earned a lucrative £45.5 million in pay and bonuses last year.
This substantial payout will further enhance the wealth of the Coates family, who were ranked as the 16th richest individuals in Britain on the latest Sunday Times Rich List, with an estimated wealth of £9.44 billion. Denise Coates, known for her aversion to publicity, founded Bet365 in a modest location in Stoke-on-Trent in 2000.
Together with her husband Richard Smith, Coates resided in a farmhouse near Stoke before commissioning the construction of a state-of-the-art mansion in rural Cheshire, designed by Lord Norman Foster’s architectural firm. This £90 million estate, sprawling across 52 acres, boasts amenities like a sunken tennis court, stables, ornate gardens, workers’ cottages, and a boathouse, with construction spanning four years starting in 2019.
Reportedly, Coates invested £8.5 million in acquiring adjacent land to ensure privacy for the property. In a rare interview, she expressed confidence early on in the success of online gambling, citing its privacy, accessibility, and ability to offer a wide array of betting options to customers.
Moreover, the Coates family is recognized as among the highest taxpayers in the UK. The latest financial records indicate that their group contributed a total of £481.5 million to the UK Exchequer, surpassing the £364 million contribution in 2024.
The group also disclosed substantial charitable donations to the Denise Coates Foundation, amounting to £130 million in the past year. Separate accounts for the Foundation, described as a company with trustees, revealed 27 donations and grants to 22 institutions, totaling £16.7 million. Beneficiaries included The University Hospitals of North Midlands Charity, receiving grants for essential medical equipment.
Previously owning Stoke City Football Club through Bet365, the Coates family transferred ownership to Denise Coates’ brother, John, in July last year, with the club facing a significant financial loss at that point. Bet365 reported a 9% revenue increase to over £4 billion in the year ending March, although pre-tax profits nearly halved to £348.7 million.
Notably, the financial reports do not consider the impact of the recent increase in online gambling taxes announced in the latest Budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Bet365 emphasizes its commitment to providing a secure gambling environment for customers and continues to invest significantly in ensuring responsible gambling practices in collaboration with regulators and industry peers.
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