DUBLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Online betting giant Flutter posted a 15% rise in fourth-quarter revenue on Thursday, driving its shares up 10% though it said growth in its Fanduel U.S. business was below expectations due to a series of very friendly customer results.

The world's largest online betting company said in November that it expected full-year earnings excluding the nascent U.S. market of 1.44 billion pounds ($1.8 billion), the bottom of its previously forecast range following a similar run of results in Europe.

It is due to report earnings figures on March 26 but in a post-close statement on Thursday said the 1.139 billion pounds of net revenue generated in the United States in the fourth quarter was 147 million pounds below the guidance provided in November.

It said the revenue miss in its largest division would have an approximate 35% flow through to adjusted U.S. earnings.

Earlier this year, Flutter became the first online betting operator to turn a profit in the United States since the lifting of a sports betting ban there in 2018. It had forecast full year U.S. core earnings of 140 million pounds in November.

Its full year revenue in the United States was 41% higher year-on-year, driving a 25% increase across the group to 9.5 billion pounds.

That was ahead of the 9.4 billion pounds LSEG SmartEstimate, weighted toward forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

Fanduel's share of the U.S. market rose on a quarterly basis to 43% during what it described as the peak period for sporting activity, as the American Football season ramped up. Its share stood at 40% at the end of September and 50% a year ago.

Fourth quarter revenue growth of 4% in its international division, a 2% dip in Australia and 19% jump in the UK and Ireland, where it won further market share, were in line with guidance, the Paddy Power, Betfair and Sportsbet owner said.

Shares in rival 888 Holdings, which owns the William Hill brand, fell sharply earlier this week when it forecast its 2024 profit at the lower end of market expectations.

Flutter said it would provide full year guidance in March. ($1 = 0.7882 pounds) (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Jason Neely and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)