Gambling giant 888 in £2.2bn deal to buy William Hill’s European arm

Online gambling group 888 has agreed a £2.2bn deal to buy William Hill’s European business and its 1400 UK betting shops in a move that will see it return to British hands.

888 will take over William Hill’s international arm from Las Vegas casino operator Caesars Entertainment, which had acquired the gambling giant in April for £2.9bn.

888 said the deal will create a combined group with more than 12,000 employees and annual revenues of £1.8bn.

There had been speculation that 888 may look to offload William Hill’s betting shops and keep just the online part of the business, but it said on announcing the deal that it is “excited about the opportunities that the retail business provides”.

Caesars had made it clear when it snapped up William Hill that it only wanted its American unit, sparking a race to buy the European operations.

888 had emerged as the front-runner on Wednesday after outbidding rival private equity suitor Apollo Global Management.

Itai Pazner, chief executive of 888, said: “The acquisition of William Hill International is a transformational and hugely exciting moment in 888’s history.

“This transaction will create one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming groups with superior scale, exceptional brands, increased diversification, and a platform for strong growth.”

He added: “We are also excited about the opportunities that the retail business provides and see significant brand benefits to the enlarged group from its large estate.”

888 said it had secured debt financing for the deal of around £2.1bn and also expects to raise around £500m by issuing new equity.

Ulrik Bengtsson, chief executive of William Hill international, said: “Scale is increasingly important in our sector and the combination of the businesses will provide a powerful alignment of brands and technology.”

The purchase of William Hill earlier this year was part of a series of attempted takeovers of the UK’s gambling industry by US rivals.

In January this year, US firm MGM Resorts backed out of a potential £8bn bid for Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral.

After the deal fell through, MGM was banned from making another approach to the company for six months. This ban has now lapsed.