The British competition watchdog is this week expected to ask bookmakers Ladbrokes and Corals to offload between 400 and 1,000 betting shops as a condition of allowing them to merge.
Ladbrokes, a significant player in the Irish market, plans to join forces with Gala Coral to create a business with more than 4,000 betting shops in Britain, where it would become bookmaking’s biggest retail operator.
However, the deal depends on approval from the British Competition and Markets Authority, which is due to rule on Friday and is thought likely to ask the pair to sell between 400 and 1,000 shops.
Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen has already warned that a ruling demanding the combined group sell too many shops could derail the deal.
However, analysts believe the final number is likely to be at the lower end of the scale and is unlikely to threaten the merger.
The news comes as recently-created betting giant Paddy Power Betfair prepares to hold its first annual general meeting in Dublin today.
Full Content: Irish Times
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
French Competition Watchdog Raids EPC Groupe
May 20, 2024 by
CPI
Nippon Steel Vice Chairman to Visit US for Key Meetings in U.S. Steel Acquisition
May 20, 2024 by
CPI
Google Pays Damages to US Government in Attempt to Avoid Jury Trial in Antitrust Case
May 20, 2024 by
CPI
Nature’s Miracle and Agrify Terminate Merger Agreement Amid Challenges
May 20, 2024 by
CPI
UK’s AI Safety Institute to Open US Office Amid Growing Calls for Global Collaboration
May 20, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI