**Bet365 CEO Denise Coates’ Remarkable Pay Package Reaches £280 Million in 2025**
In a striking announcement, it was revealed that Denise Coates, the founder and chief executive officer of Bet365, has received an astounding pay package amounting to £280 million for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. This amount not only secures her position among the highest-paid executives in Britain but also indicates a significant increase in her overall earnings, soaring to over £2 billion from the company since its inception over two decades ago.
During the previous fiscal year, Coates’ pay considerably ramped up, reflecting a surge of over 67% from the nearly £158 million she earned in 2024. Unfolding through Companies House filings, it was disclosed that her base salary alone accounted for £104 million. This princely sum, although substantial in its own right, comes with additional benefits that underscore her status as the majority shareholder of Bet365.
Moreover, as a major shareholder in the company, Coates was privy to at least half of the £354 million dividend payment declared by Bet365. This vast pay package raises questions for many regarding the ethics of such remuneration, especially in the context of a company’s profits which, as reported, faced a downturn. The profits for Bet365 fell from approximately £596 million to £339 million compared to the prior year, despite overall revenue experiencing a favorable 9% rise from £3.7 billion to £4 billion.
Following the announcement, the pay scale of Denise Coates sparked condemnation from various sectors, notably from the High Pay Centre, a campaign group advocating for fair remuneration practices. Director Andrew Speke articulated concerns regarding the impact of such colossal earnings, stressing the disparity in incomes, especially given that Coates’s fortune derives from an industry linked to gambling, which has consequentially harmed many individuals and communities.
Speke acknowledged Coates’s community contributions and popularity within Stoke-on-Trent, where she has been known for her self-made success, but he emphasized that her earnings stretch far beyond what could be deemed necessary for a comfortable lifestyle. He remarked, “The eye-watering sums she earns go far beyond what anyone needs for a life of luxury.”
Denise Coates’s remarkable trajectory began more than twenty years ago when she launched Bet365 from a modest portable office situated in a car park in Stoke-on-Trent. Today, this company stands as the largest private sector employer in the city, disseminating a wide array of online gambling services, including sports betting, poker, and bingo, to millions around the globe. Coates, alongside her brother John Coates, who serves as the co-chief executive, has transformed the family’s small bookmaking enterprise into a sprawling digital betting empire.
Notably, Coates is not just known for her extraordinary income, as she is also recognized as one of the UK’s foremost taxpayers. With her reported salary, she is set to contribute tens of millions to the national coffers through income tax and national insurance contributions. In the fiscal year leading up to March, Bet365 disclosed that it paid £482 million in taxes, up from £364 million the previous year, encompassing taxes on dividend distributions.
Demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility, during the same financial year, Bet365 donated £130 million to the Denise Coates Foundation, a charity that provides funding for educational, cultural, and healthcare initiatives.
As discussions continue surrounding pay equity, social responsibility, and corporate governance, Denise Coates’s financial packages remain a focal point, raising critical conversations about executive compensation in the face of industry dynamics and social impact.
