William Hill shares rise as merger talks confirmed

William Hill shares rose in London yesterday after the UK bookmaker confirmed it is in talks on a possible combination with PokerStars owner Amaya of Canada, a deal that would further transform the landscape of a rapidly consolidating industry.

The company’s stock rose as much as 6.5% — before paring back in afternoon trading — to 313.6p, boosting the betting firm’s market value to £2.7bn (€3bn). Amaya gained 8.2% on Friday after Reuters reported that the company had received interest from parties including William Hill.

A deal would be the latest in a round of betting-industry consolidation that has included the combination of competitors Ladbrokes and Gala Coral, as well as Paddy Power and Betfair.