Gambling Figures Feature Across 2026 Sunday Times Rich List

Several leading figures from the gambling sector have appeared in the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List.

The 2026 list, topped by the Hinduja family with an estimated £38bn fortune, places the combined wealth of the UK’s 350 richest at £784bn. This figure represents a quarter of the country’s GDP and a 1.4% increase from 2025.

Coates family leads gambling sector despite ranking drop

The highest-ranked gambling name remains the bet365 founders, the Coates family. Peter Coates and his children, Denise and John, are ranked 17th with an estimated net worth of £9.73bn.

Although they dropped one position compared to last year, their wealth increased by £283m. The family remains closely linked to Stoke-on-Trent, where bet365 is the largest private-sector employer with more than 5,500 staff. The company has been expanding into new markets, including France and Michigan.

Behind them is Mark Scheinberg, who ranked 37th with a fortune of £4.89bn. His wealth declined by £192m over the year, though he moved up one place in the rankings.

Betfred owners and legacy gambling figures move up

Betfred owners Fred and Peter Done climbed 11 places to 46th, with their wealth rising by nearly £700m to £3.61bn. The Warrington-based business remains family-owned and operates primarily in the UK market.

Further down the list, Lord Grantchester, linked to the historic Littlewoods football pools business, ranked 139th with a fortune of £1.2bn. The pools business operate under “The Pools,” despite declining relevance in the modern gambling landscape.

Ruth Parasol, founder of PartyGaming, ranked 198th with a net worth of £780m. Her company later merged with bwin to form bwin.party Digital Entertainment, which was acquired by GVC Holdings, now Entain.

Will Rosseff, a director at bet365, also appeared on the list with a net worth of £591m, ranking 239th.

Spread betting, sports promotion and diversification trends

Other figures connected to gambling through adjacent sectors also featured. Lord Peter and Lady Fiona Cruddas, behind CMC Markets, rose 42 places to 142nd with a fortune of £1.16bn. The platform operates in spread betting and has secured sponsorship deals with football clubs.

Barry and Eddie Hearn, through Matchroom, returned to the list at 154th with £1.04bn. Their business maintains strong ties to betting companies through sponsorship agreements, including deals linked to darts and snooker events.

Matchroom has signalled a need to diversify, citing potential risks from regulatory changes affecting gambling sponsorship and partnerships.

Horse racing wealth and broader industry links

Horse racing connections remain visible across the list. Michael Tabor ranked 191st with £800m, supported by long-standing involvement in thoroughbred racing.

Other notable names include:

• Georg and Emily von Opel: (74th – worth £2.08bn) heirs to car manufacturer Opel AG; former is behind the thoroughbred racing and breeding operation Westerberg
• Patricia Thompson and family: (175th – worth £902m) family behind food manufacturing company Hillsdown Holdings; owner of UK racing’s famous Cheveley Park Stud
• Tony Bloom: (199th – worth £779m) owner and breeder; Brighton and Hove Albion Chairman; Premierbet Founder
• Robert and William Barnett and family: (218th – worth £715m) owners of Belfast-based W&R Barnett; former top-level racehorse owners and breeders
• Andy Bell (249th – worth £553m): Co-Founder of Manchester-headquartered online investment platform AJ Bell; racehorse owner

The 2026 Sunday Times Rich List has been released and several top gambling personalities in the UK made the cut. However, other individuals from adjacent industries to gambling such as football, boxing promotions, and horse racing were also featured. This list comprises the crème de la crème of businessmen in the UK.