Denise Coates, known as the leading figure behind Bet365, has recently received a significant windfall of £260 million, bringing her total earnings to £2.7 billion over the past 15 years. This latest payout further solidifies her status as one of the highest-paid executives in the UK and the highest-paid female executive. The financial records of her family’s gambling enterprise reveal that she was granted a salary of £104 million, notably higher than the £94.7 million she received in 2024.
In addition to her salary, Bet365 Group distributed a total of £313.6 million in cash dividends to family shareholders, of which Ms. Coates, holding a majority stake in the company, received a substantial portion. Despite this impressive windfall of £260 million, it falls short of her previous record of £469 million in 2021 but still surpasses the earnings of other prominent business leaders in the UK.
The Coates family, ranked as the 16th wealthiest in Britain according to the Sunday Times Rich List, saw their fortune increase with this latest windfall. Denise Coates, who prefers to stay out of the public eye, founded Bet365 in 2000 in a modest portable cabin in Stoke on Trent. Alongside her husband, Richard Smith, they transitioned from living in a farmhouse to a modern steel and glass mansion in Cheshire, encompassing 52 acres of land, complete with luxurious amenities such as a sunken tennis court, stables, and ornamental gardens.
Notably, the Coates family is recognized for their substantial tax contributions, with the group’s total tax payment to the UK Exchequer amounting to £481.5 million, an increase from the £364 million paid in 2024. Furthermore, the Denise Coates Foundation received a significant donation of £130 million, which was distributed to various institutions, including The University Hospitals of North Midlands Charity, among others.
Stoke City football club, once owned by the Coates family through Bet365, transferred ownership to Ms. Coates’ brother, John, resulting in a substantial financial loss for the club. Despite Bet365’s revenue increasing by 9% to over £4 billion in the previous fiscal year, the profit before tax nearly halved to £348.7 million. The company’s accounts do not reflect the impact of the recent increase in online gambling taxes announced in the latest Budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Bet365 remains committed to providing a safe gambling environment for its customers, emphasizing ongoing investments in promoting responsible gambling practices.