Tory donors behind Betfred pay themselves and family £50m dividend

Rise in online gambling in pandemic offset temporary closure of firm's 1,470 high street bookmakers

The billionaire Conservative party donors behind the gambling firm Betfred paid themselves and their family a 50m dividend, as an increase in online gambling in the coronavirus pandemic offset the temporary closure of its 1,470 high street bookmakers.

Betfred's customers wagered 6.9bn in the year to the end of September 2021, up from 6.4bn, providing winnings of 526m for the Manchester-based company, a marginal increase on the previous year.