The disposal of hundreds of betting shops by Ladbrokes and Gala Coral in the UK has attracted keen interest from rivals with press speculation favouring Betfred as the most likely buyer of between 300 and 400 of the shops.
The merger of Ladbrokes and Gala Coral, which is in the latter stages of completion, is forcing the disposal of many shops, something the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has made a condition of the deal.
The shops are reported to be worth around £100m. Betfred, the fourth-largest sports book operator in the country with around 1,400 shops, recorded a loss of £76.7m in 2015.
