British bookmaker Ladbrokes posted a rise in pre-tax profits of 84 per cent for the four months ending October, which it attributed largely to the phone betting side of the business. Total gross win rose by 33 percent in the period, while UK retail gross win fell behind with a gain of four per cent due to 'record' horse racing cancellations.

"Early trading in November has seen the continuation of High Rollers' Telephone activity and, encouragingly, reached into double-digit year-on-year growth in UK Retail gross win," the betting firm said in a statement.

Chief Executive Christopher Bell said that the firm was doing better than it and the market had expected.