Paddy Power hails stellar 2015 results, tests indestructible betting slips

Irish betting operator Paddy Power is predicting its full year 2015 profit will come in around €180m before exceptional items.

In its last trading update before the company completes its merger with UK rival Betfair on Feb. 2, Paddy Power said it expects FY15 profits to be up nearly 10% from 2014, as trading over the final seven weeks of 2015 was “good.” Geez, don’t spare the adjectives, guys.

Stripping away costs associated with the two companies shacking up, Paddy says it expects earnings per share to come in at €3.33. Paddy declared a final dividend of €1.20 per share, bringing last year’s total dividend to €1.80 per share. Betfair, meanwhile, announced a closing dividend of 24.3p per share.

The merger received its final approval from Ireland’s competition watchdogs on Jan. 15, based on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s belief that the deal wouldn’t “substantially lessen competition in any market for goods or services.”