888 Shareholders Greenlight William Hill Acquisition

Shareholders at 888 Holdings have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the company’s intentions to acquire William Hill’s non-US portfolio. Caesar’s Entertainment, who currently own William Hill’s full suite of assets, have been anxious to offload it’s UK and European business since their colossal £2.9bn takeover of the operator back in 2020.

888 have announced that the deal should reach completion by the end of June, which should align with the timing of their permission to trade as a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange. This approval is currently pending, with the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) expected to declare their decision imminently.

The organization’s non-executive Chairman, Lord Mendelsohn, welcomed the news, suggesting that the merger represented a major step forward for the gambling giant. He said, ‘’we look forward to completing this transformational acquisition at the end of June, creating a global online betting and gaming leader through the combination of two highly complementary businesses and two of the industry’s leading brands’’.

The Gibraltar-based operator is certainly optimistic about its future success. It’s recently undertaken a rapid expansion plan, targeting the UK as a key market in its business roadmap. Furthermore, the firm projected that if the William Hill acquisition had been secured before the commencement of 2021, last year’s gross gaming revenue figure would have eclipsed $2bn, with an EBITDA of $437m.

This has been a protracted deal, with Caesar’s initially accepting 888’s proposal a full eight months ago. Key changes were made on the detail of the deal last month in respect of new regulatory guidance; this resulted in all parties agreeing a £250m reduction in the sale price.

Should 888 Holdings get this one across the line, which is looking increasingly likely, they will assume control of all William Hill’s UK and European online and retail interests.