Sportech Declares 15% Drop in Football Pools

The long-term viability of football pools in the UK was dealt another blow yesterday when Littlewoods Pools operator Sportech declared a 15% drop in revenues from the game.

In a trading statement ahead of its half year results, Liverpool-based Sportech said the fall in revenue from pools punters was bigger than expected.

Football pools has been in decline in the UK since the introduction of the National Lottery in 1994 and only two companies remain in the market - Sportech and Vernons,, which is also based in Liverpool.