For most UK-based companies, online gambling profits have risen over the course of the past year. However, that has not been the case for Ladbrokes. The online sportsbetting operator saw its first decline in two years during 2011, even after moving its operations offshore. 

Overall, the company brought in £13 billion in wagers in from online and land-based sportsbetting in addition to land-based betting machines. While online gambling was supposed to be the breadwinner, thanks to lower online gaming taxes, land-based gambling saw increased profits instead. 

Land-based sports betting rose by 2.1% while gambling on electronic gaming devices saw a 19% increase. Over the course of the past year, Ladbrokes has seen an influx of younger patrons, who have more money to spend on gambling activities. It seems that this demographic is spending less time in the online gambling world. As such, the company wants to focus more attention on the land-based market, planning to open 60 new shops in the new year. 

On the other hand, mobile gambling has taken off for Ladbrokes. The company’s mobile applications saw a 174% increase in popularity in 2011. In the UK, mobile gambling is becoming incredibly popular and it was wise of Ladbrokes to get in on it from its inception.