Over the past few years more and more companies operate in the conditions of great competitiveness in the UK gambling industry. On the other hand, the gambling industry as a whole has been one of the major contributors to the country’s economy generating more than £2 billion towards the Gross domestic product (GDP).
However, remaining on top of the list is never easy. This is exactly why the UK gambling operators put a lot of hard work and efforts to consolidate their positions on the market. The some of them are being pressed by both the competition and the legislation and regulatory framework changes, so it is very important for them to be able to not only beat the unfavourable conditions, but also remain profitable.
Here we offer you more information regarding the gambling companies with the biggest market capitalisation on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Paddy Power Betfair Plc
The bookmaking business was established after the merger of Paddy Power and Betfair at the beginning of February 2015. The two companies agreed the terms of the deal in September 2015, and currently the business is owned by 52% of the former shareholders of Paddy Power and 48% by the former shareholders of Betfair.
Since the merger, the company has become one of the largest and best traded casino, betting and gambling operators on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, with a market value of £7,189.35 million. The share price of Paddy Power Betfair settled at £86.0 at the market’s close on January 18th, 2017.
Thanks to the fact that before the merger, the Paddy Power brand was one of the most distinctive betting operators not only in Great Britain, but also in Europe, and Betfair was an innovative online-only betting operator, the merger of the two companies undoubtedly changed the overall landscape of the UK sports betting industry and is expected to have its impact on the sector over the next decade.
Now, the combined Group is considered as one of the gambling and betting industry players with the greatest significance. The market-leading presence of the company in the UK and Ireland, the USA and Australia guarantee it wide acceptance and recognition by millions of players on a global scale and predetermine further expansion for the company over the upcoming years.
Ladbrokes Coral Group Plc
The casino, betting and gambling giant Ladbrokes Coral Group is undoubtedly one of the companies with the longest history in the UK gambling sector. The Group was formed at the beginning of November 2016 after the completion of one of the longest-awaited mergers in the history of UK gambling.
Currently, Ladbrokes Coral Group is one of the best traded gambling operators on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, with a market value estimated to £2,459.99 million. The share price of Ladbrokes Coral settled at £1.29 at the market’s close on January 18th, 2017. The company enjoys a vast market presence not only in the UK and Ireland, but also worldwide thanks to the popularity of both Ladbrokes and Gala Coral brands.
The agreement for a merger was reached in July 2015, but the completion of the deal was postponed several times due to various issues and regulatory requirements. In July 2015 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) identified more than 640 areas in the country, where competition could be hurt by the completion of the merger. This led to it taking up some severe measures against Ladbrokes and Gala Coral merger, imposing the brands to dispose of between 350 and 400 betting outlets in the country.
Finally, the deal was completed to see the combined Group as one of the most powerful gambling operators on the territory of the UK. As reported by Casino Guardian yesterday, Ladbrokes Coral released a trading update in line with the analysts’ expectations and predicted successful performance over the upcoming years.
William Hill Plc
One of the bookmakers with the longest history in the UK – William Hill – is also among the casino, betting and gambling operators with biggest market capitalisation on the Main Market of the LSE. The company was established in 1934, at a time when gambling was not legal in the country.
Currently, one of Great Britain’s largest and most popular bookmakers has a market value estimated at £2,495,97. The share price of William Hill settled at £2.87 at the market’s close on January 18th, 2017.
Up to date, the bookmaker operates in a number of global markets, but unfortunately, it has been facing some difficulties lately. The last two years were challenging for the company, especially considering the fact it was hit by a massive 22% operational profit decline in 2015 due to the point of consumption tax introduced by the UK Government in December 2014.
In 2016, the company was reached by a large takeover bid by the consortium Rank Group-888 Holdings, but it decided to turn down the acquisition offer. An eventual three-way deal would have resulted in creating the largest multi-channel gambling operator on the territory of the UK, but the bookmaker’s executives team regarded the offer as one that considerably “undervalued the business”.
After the failed merger talks in August, in October the company was rumoured to have been negotiating over an eventual merger with Amaya. Only a week later, the two companies revealed that they had decided to end the merger talks, as William Hill preferred to continue operating as a standalone company.
GVC Holdings Plc
Up to date, GVC Holdings is one of the largest online gambling operators in the UK. Founded in 2004 in Luxembourg, it is now based in the Isle of Man and is one of the best traded gambling companies on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.
The company trades under a number of brands, including bwin, PartyPoker, Sportingbet, Foxy Bingo and PartyCasino. The market capitalisation of GVC Holdings is £1,821.44 million. The share price of the company settled at £6.25 at the market’s close on January 18th, 2017.
Spending more than a decade in the business has turned GVC Holdings in a multinational sports betting and gaming company, which has been recently focused on expanding its presence not only in its domestic market, but also worldwide. Due to the fact, the operator has recently revealed a number of partnership agreements with some of the best gambling software suppliers in order to boost its portfolio with high-quality games and products.
888 Holdings
888 Holdings is undoubtedly one of the most popular online gaming entertainment companies in the world. Established in 1997, it has been focused on operating a number of high-profile gambling brands, including 888casino, 888poker, 888sport and 888 bingo.
With a decade of experience in the UK casino, betting and gaming industry, the operator has managed to become one of the gambling operators which currently have the biggest market capitalisation on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. The market value of the company is estimated to £757.84 million. The share price of 888 Holdings settled at £2.25 at the market’s close on January 18th, 2017.
At the mid December 2016, the company announced its expectations to reach the initial full-year target. 888 Holdings has been recently focused on its growth strategy not only in the UK, but also in global regulated markets, through making investments and partnership agreements. It has also been aimed at consolidating the presence of its key business-to-consumer business.
- Author
Daniel Williams
