Gaming group's profit rises 25pc

Australia's second-biggest wagering company said it posted a 25 per cent rise in annual profit, boosted by expansion of its gaming machine monitoring business but said growth in that business would slow.

UNiTAB, whose shareholders are due to vote on a A$1.8 billion ($2.14 billion) merger with lotteries group Tattersall's on Monday, said total wagering revenues were lifted in the second half by the resolution in May of a long-running broadcasting row and said the recovery had continued in fiscal 2007.