William Hills UK betting shops acquisition target of interest for Boylesports Expansion

The Irish bookmaker BoyleSports has shown an interest in acquiring William Hill’s UK betting shops.

Another possible buyer has emerged for part of William Hill’s European business,which is up for sale following Caesars Entertainment’s acquisition of the company.

BoyleSports has said it would be interested in “acquiring some or all of William Hill’s UK shops” to further expand its UK presence.

Around 1,400 shops are on sale, with analysts suggesting that the sale could be worth around £1.5bn. A deal with BoyleSports could make the Irish bookmaker the leading brand on the British high street.

A spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “BoyleSports would certainly be interested in acquiring some or all of William Hill’s UK shops, or indeed any other opportunity that makes sense for our business”.

“We have made no secret of our ambition to be one of the principal operators on the UK high street and believe that our retail and digital offerings represent a best in class, safe, and enjoyable proposition for the betting public.

“We already have 21 shops in the UK which, along with our 45 shops in Northern Ireland and our recently upgraded online betting site, gives us a sizeable foothold in the UK retail and online markets. The sale of the William Hill estate presents us with a rare opportunity to achieve the retail scale we have been targeting.”

Other companies said to be interested in William Hill’s European business include 888, Apollo Asset Management and Entain.

 

Tags: , ,