Ladbrokes first-half profit falls 44 pct

LONDON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Ladbrokes (LSE: LAD.L - news) , the British bookmaker that agreed to buy Gala Coral last month, posted a 44 percent drop in adjusted first-half profit to 24.7 million pounds ($38 million), reflecting lower betting on football and a string of customer-friendly results.

Exceptionals were 78.9 million pounds, in line with guidance given when it pre-announced the results last month, and it is paying an interim dividend of 1 pence a share, part of planned cuts in the shareholder payout to fund investment. ($1 = 0.6423 pounds) (Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Sarah Young)