William Hill set for top of profit target after strong Q3

LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Leading British bookmaker William Hill said it expected operating profit this year to come in at the top end of market forecasts after the soccer World Cup helped it enjoy a strong third quarter.

Net revenue rose 23 percent in the 13 weeks to the end of September and operating profit jumped 89 percent, the bookmaker said in a trading statement on Tuesday.

"The group performed strongly in Q3 driven by both favourable sporting results and the continued development of our UK and international businesses," said Chief Executive James Henderson who took the top job in August.

"Positive sporting results in the quarter, including a strong end to the World Cup, have moved us close to or ahead of normalised gross win margins on a year-to-date basis," he said.

The betting industry is facing financial and regulatory pressures in Britain where the government is tightening controls on betting shops and increasing taxes on both online gambling and high stakes gaming machines.

William Hill (Other OTC: WIMHY - news) shares are down 11 percent over 2014, with the increased tax burden a concern for investors.

(Reporting by Keith Weir; editing by David Clarke)