Gambling personalities featured in the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List

(AsiaGameHub) –   A significant number of prominent figures from the gambling industry have once again been featured in The Times’ annual Sunday Times Rich List.

The 2026 edition, topped this year by Sanjay and Dheeraj Hinduja and family of the Hinduja Group with an estimated net worth of £38bn, reveals that the UK’s 350 richest individuals and families have a combined wealth of £784bn—a 1.4% increase from 2025—equivalent to one-quarter of the UK’s GDP.

A familiar name tops betting’s Rich List…

Once again, the highest-ranked figure from the gambling sector was the Coates family.

Synonymous with Stoke-on-Trent’s bet365, the Coates family—comprising company co-founder Peter and his two children and joint-chief executives Denise and John—dropped one place to 17th in the rankings, with a net worth of £9.73bn.

Despite falling one position in the list, the family, which also maintains close ties with Stoke City FC, increased its fortune by £283m over the past year.

The bet365 business is reported to be the largest private-sector employer in Stoke-on-Trent, employing more than 5,500 people locally, and has recently expanded into new markets including France and Michigan.

Following the Coates on the gambling side of the list was Mark Scheinberg—the Israeli-Canadian entrepreneur who co-founded PokerStars, now owned by Flutter Entertainment.

Scheinberg ranked 37th overall, up one place from 2025, but his wealth decreased by £192m, leaving him with a fortune of £4.89bn.

Done it again – Betfred brothers on Sunday Times Rich List

Not far behind Scheinberg were the billionaire brothers Fred and Peter Done, owners of Betfred.

Like the Coates, the Done brothers run a privately-owned family gambling business rooted in the UK—Betfred remains headquartered in Warrington, near their home in Salford.

Remarkably, the Done brothers grew their fortune by nearly £700m over the last 12 months, climbing 11 places to 46th on the list with an estimated wealth of £3.61bn.

Dairy farmer Lord Grantchester, grandson of the late Sir John Moores, fell eight places to 139th, with his fortune remaining unchanged at £1.2bn.

At 75 years old and a former director of Everton FC, Lord Grantchester is part of the family that founded Littlewoods and its football pools business.

Although the pools business, which has declined significantly in the 21st century alongside Littlewoods’ retail empire, continues today under the name ‘The Pools’.

Business leaders Lord Peter and Lady Fiona Cruddas, founders of CMC Markets, surged 42 places to 142nd, increasing their net worth by £290m to reach £1.16bn.

The platform offers spread betting and has secured front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with both Everton FC and Fulham FC, ahead of the upcoming voluntary ban on gambling branding on shirts.

Barry and Eddie Hearn, well-known figures in boxing, darts, and snooker, returned to the Sunday Times Rich List at 154th position with a fortune of £1.04bn.

Their company, Matchroom, has attracted substantial commercial attention from betting firms. However, the firm has warned that any legislative changes could affect revenues and is therefore seeking to diversify away from the sector.

Current Matchroom partnerships with gambling companies include Paddy Power’s sponsorship of the PDC World Championship and Midnite’s involvement with the World Snooker Tour.

Horse racing links in the Sunday Times Rich List 2026

Michael Tabor and his family, owners of BetVictor, rose eight places to 191st despite no change in their net worth.

The 84-year-old businessman and his family have a total wealth of £800m. Tabor is one of only four racehorse owners to have won both the Epsom Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

Other notable horse racing-connected names on the 2026 Sunday Times Rich List include:

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

Elsewhere on the list, Ruth Parasol and her family climbed five places to 198th, with a net worth of £780m.

Parasol established PartyGaming in 1997, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2005 at a then-record valuation of $8.46bn.

The business later merged with bwin in 2011 to form bwin.party Digital Entertainment, subsequently acquired by GVC Holdings in 2016.

As of 2026, the brand is owned by FTSE 100 company Entain plc, which also operates the Ladbrokes and Coral brands.

Will Rosseff, a director at bet365, is the final name from the gambling industry on this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, with his net worth rising by £12m to £591m, placing him 239th.