Denise Coates, known as the gambling queen, has recently received an additional £260 million windfall, bringing her total payouts over the past 15 years to £2.7 billion.
As the head of Bet365, she solidified her position as one of the highest-paid executives in Britain and the highest-paid woman with this latest windfall.
According to recently disclosed records of her family’s gambling business, she received a salary of £104 million, marking an increase from £94.7 million in 2024.
Last year, Bet365 Group distributed triple the amount of cash dividends to family shareholders, totaling £313.6 million. Due to her significant stake in the company, Ms. Coates, aged 58, was entitled to a substantial portion of this dividend.
While the windfall of around £260 million is impressive, it falls short of her previous record of £469 million in 2021.
However, this amount surpasses the known earnings of other top executives in the UK. For instance, Eamonn O’Hare of Zegona, a London-listed telecoms firm, earned £131 million last year. Pascal Soriot, the chief of AstraZeneca, received a pay packet of £14.7 million in 2024. Peter Dilnot, the CEO of Melrose Industries, earned £45.5 million last year through pay and bonuses.
This windfall will further increase the wealth of the Coates family, who were ranked as the 16th richest in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9.44 billion on the latest Sunday Times Rich List.
Ms. Coates, known for avoiding the limelight, founded Bet365 in a portable cabin in a car park in Stoke-on-Trent back in 2000.
Initially residing in a farmhouse near Stoke, she and her husband, Richard Smith, enlisted Lord Norman Foster’s architectural firm to design a modern steel and glass mansion in rural Cheshire.
Spanning 52 acres, the £90 million estate reportedly includes amenities such as a sunken tennis court, stables, elaborate gardens, workers’ cottages, and a boathouse. Construction commenced in 2019 and lasted for four years.
To ensure privacy, Ms. Coates spent £8.5 million acquiring adjacent land. In a rare interview, she expressed her early conviction in the success of online gambling, emphasizing its privacy, accessibility, and extensive betting opportunities for customers.
The Coates family is also recognized as significant taxpayers, with their group contributing £481.5 million to the UK Exchequer, up from £364 million in 2024.
The group revealed substantial charitable donations to the Denise Coates Foundation, totaling £