GAMBLERS winning on blackjack are making life difficult for gaming group Stanley Leisure.

Stanley Leisure said its Crockfords casino in London's Mayfair had seen profits affected by the success of "several high-rolling customers" winning on games such as blackjack and roulette. Bob Wiper, chief executive, said: "This type of trading fluctuation within Crockfords is not unusual, but coming so late within our financial year, it will almost certainly affect the group's final results."

Stanley, which runs about 650 betting shops, said the foot-and-mouth crisis was disrupting racing, and turnover in its betting division was down against last year.

However, punters were instead having a flutter on higher-margin football or overseas racing, which had offset the impact on profits.