UK-listed online gambling operator GVC Holdings posted solid growth in the first half of 2017 on improved sports betting margins and double-digit gains in online gaming.

On Thursday, GVC released a trading update covering the six months to June 30, along with key performance indicators for its second quarter. The H1 pro forma comparison assumes that the Bwin.party brands, which GVC officially absorbed midway through Q1 2016, were full contributors to the 2016 results.

Net gaming revenue in Q2 was up 8% to €244.1m, and the company is quick to point out that the year-on-year gain would have been 10% using constant currency figures. GVC CEO Kenny Alexander noted with pride that the gains came despite Q2 2016 having enjoyed a quadrennial boost from the Euro 2016 football tournament.

Given the lack of a major football event in this most recent quarter, it’s not surprising that GVC’s sports brands (Bwin, Sportingbet) reported a 2% fall in betting turnover, leading to a 1% year-on-year decline in daily sports revenue to €945k. However, the sports brands’ gaming verticals saw daily revenue rise 16% to just over €1m, pushing overall net gaming revenue up 7% to just under €2m per day.