Ladbrokes first-half profit helped by favourable sports results

LONDON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - British bookmaker Ladbrokes (Amsterdam: LB6.AS - news) reported a better-than-expected 34 percent rise in first-half operating profit on Thursday, helped by some bookmaker-friendly sporting results.

The company, whose 2.3 billion pound ($3 billion) merger with rival Coral was approved last month, posted group operating profit of 52.3 million pounds for the six months to end-June on revenue 13 percent higher at 661.8 million pounds.

Analysts at UBS (LSE: 0QNR.L - news) were expecting first-half operating profit to come in at 49 million pounds, while Goodbody estimated 42 million pounds.

($1 = 0.7517 pounds) (Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Mark Potter)