Ladbrokes claimed a significant moment in betting companies’ long battle to open up restrictive European markets when the Dutch Supreme Court referred its appeal against a ban on taking online bets from Dutch citizens to the European Court of Justice.

The UK’s biggest bookmaker claimed victory in a six-year case that ended on Friday when the Dutch Supreme Court upheld the country’s gaming laws but asked for guidance in the context of European law. Ladbrokes’s shares rose 8p, closing at 291¾p.