The growing popularity of online poker outside the US helped lift underlying profits at 888, the online gambling company by a third last year in spite of a ban on operations in North America.

Shares in the company rose ¾p to 120¼p, compared with their 52-week high of 252p last April, after 888 reported a 34 per cent rise in profit before exceptionals to $90.5m (£45.3m) for the year to December 31. Pre-tax profits were $77.7m ($50m).