888 Buys William Hill’s Non-US Assets
888 Holdings has acquired William Hill’s European assets, in a deal that is worth £2.2 billion. Once approved by shareholders, the deal will make the combined firm one of the largest betting and gaming operators in the world.
888 Holdings will purchase William Hill’s non-US assets from Caesars Entertainment, which took over the bookmaker earlier this year. ©FilipFilipovic/Pixabay
Competitive Auction
Gibraltar based betting and gaming operator 888 Holdings has announced that it will buy bookmaker William Hill’s European assets. Those assets have been up for auction since Caesars Entertainment completed its own acquisition of William Hill, worth £2.9 billion, earlier this year.
The US casino operator was keen to capitalize on the British bookmaker’s wealth of experience, as the US sports betting market continues to grow. As that market is still in its infancy, there are few American gambling firms with experience in sports betting.
In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the ban on sports betting, paving the way for a whole new gambling sector in the US. In order to get an edge on the competition, a number of US operators have already bought out UK and European bookmakers that have been operating for a long time. Caesars’ purchase of William Hill has been one of the biggest of these deals.
MGM Resorts offered Entain $11 billion for Ladbrokes, which it astonishingly turned down. According to Entain, that offer undervalued the company, but it did say that it would consider higher bids. MGM Resorts, which also runs BetMGM as part of a joint venture with Entain, walked away from the deal.
For Caesars Entertainment, the William Hill acquisition was its entry point into the US sports betting market. From the outset, it said that it was not interested in retaining William Hill’s non-US assets. Since then, speculation has been rife and several operators have expressed their interest in bidding.
US private equity firm Apollo showed an interest in buying the European assets, after it lost out to Caesars Entertainment on the main acquisition. However, 888’s latest announcement means that Apollo will have lost out to competitors once more.
Last month, German operator Tipico revealed that it was also in the running, and it was reported that it had tabled a competitive offer. Fred Done of Betfred has also been open with reporters over his interest in the auction.
Shared Values
Now, after months of speculation, it has been revealed that 888 Holdings has won out over the competition. It’s purchase of William Hill’s assets, will go a long way to reinforce its bid to become a global leader in the betting and gaming sector.
For William Hill, the deal comes as a positive result following a year laced with uncertainty. Through the pandemic, thousands of high-street betting shops were forced to close their doors to the public. On top of the long-awaited sale, the future for employees at William Hill has been insecure.
In August 2020, William Hill said that 119 of its betting shops would not reopen after pandemic restrictions were lifted. While online gambling boomed during the lockdowns, bosses feared that customers would not return to high-street betting shops in the numbers they once had.
888 Holdings has been operating since 1997, and is one of a small number of gambling operators to be listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the FTSE 250 Index. As an operator that is already established in the UK and Europe, it has valuable market experience and shared values with the company.
As part of the deal, it will take control of William Hill’s 1,400 UK betting shops. It will create a combined group consisting of more than 12,000 employees, and hopes to save an estimated £100 million a year. 888 Holdings confirmed the news of the acquisitions via a press release, in which 888 CEO Itai Pazner 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.”
Improved Profit Margins
Praising the deal, Pazner went on to explain why William Hill’s brand is so complementary to that of 888. Both companies are digitally led, focused on creating excellent customer experiences and committed to raising industry standards to make gambling safer. Pazner added that he is looking forward to working with the William Hill team.
Chief Executive of William Hill, Ulrik Bengtsson, echoed those sentiments. Discussing the importance of scale in the gaming sector, he said that the two brands aligned together would create a powerful combination and a transformational opportunity. Improved profit margins are also expected, thanks to operating efficiencies.
While 888 has already announced that it will acquire William Hill’s assets, the takeover is not yet complete. Shareholders are yet to approve the deal, which will also need to be given the green light by the Financial Conduct Authority. 888 chair, Lord Jon Mendelsohn, took the opportunity to assure investors, stating:
“We believe the acquisition will create significant value for shareholders, creating a combined business with leading technology, products and brands across sports betting, gaming and poker, supported by top quality management talent from both businesses.”
It seems unlikely that shareholders will not recommend the acquisition, as 888 has revealed that has the unconditional support of its largest shareholder, the Dalia Shaked Trust, which holds around 23% of its share capital. 888 has also received support from a number of its other big shareholders, and the board has signified that it will approve the deal.
In all, 47% of 888’s shares have already approved the deal through expressions of support and irrevocable undertakings. The takeover it expected to be tied up during the first half of next year, and once completed will establish the fourth largest operator by revenue.
