British bookmaker William Hill gave a frosty response to a proposed takeover bid from 888 Holdings and Rank Group, saying it saw little merit in the merger.

Paddy Power shareholders are in line for a fresh €80m windfall, via a special dividend payout, if the leading Irish betting services firm succeeds in its planned merger with UK-based online rival, Betfair.

British bookmaker, Ladbrokes is expecting annual operating profits to fall around £20m (€28m) short of expectations, this year.

A good run of results at the Cheltenham racing festival and the popularity of gambling machines helped Ladbrokes toast a rise in profits today.

Online gaming firm Bwin.party today revealed a drop in profits after it was dealt a blow from greater competition in poker markets.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes today said talks over a possible takeover of online rival 888 have ended after the two companies failed to agree a price.

888 Holdings, the UK-listed Internet gambling company that supplies services to Caesars Entertainment, rose the most in more than three months in London trading after reports that Ladbrokes is mulling an offer of more than 70 pence per share for the company.

GIBRALTAR-based online gaming company, 888.com — which is currently being courted by bookmaking giant Ladbrokes — has reported a 6% increase in operating profit, for 2010, to $262 million (€193.5m).

Internet gambling firm 888 Holdings today said takeover talks with Ladbrokes were still ongoing as it bolstered its negotiating position with strong final-quarter sales.

Commodity and banking stocks briefly pushed the FTSE 100 Index past the 5900 mark today before it slipped back again.

The FTSE 100 Index returned above the 5900 barrier today as the London market overcame the impact of the UK's big freeze on travel and retail stocks.

Online gaming firm 888 said trading was strong across all its businesses so far in the fourth quarter and expects profits to be in line with expectations.

Online gaming firm 888 today announced plans to buy internet rival Wink Bingo for up to around £60m (€67.1m) as it looks to step up its UK presence in the sector.

PADDY Power is understood not to be in the running for the first online gaming licence going to tender in India, despite the Irish betting giant’s ambitious overseas expansion plans.

Internet gaming firm 888 Holdings today reported a 36% rise in net gaming revenues in its first full year without any business in the US.

Paradise Poker operator 888 today said it had seen its best month’s trading since the group was forced to pull out of the US last year.

Talks of a possible break-up at Cable & Wireless saw shares in the telecoms group surge by more than 4% today.

Online gaming firm 888 today said it overcame a 55% drop in revenues after the US banned internet gambling late last year to post full year pre-tax profits up by more than a third.

The banking sector weighed on the London market today, led by Barclays after it agreed the terms of a merger with Dutch bank ABN Amro.

Betting group Ladbrokes and online gaming firm 888 today said they were no longer in talks regarding a possible deal involving the two firms.

Heavy selling of financial shares saw the London market head towards the 6,000 level today as stocks plummeted around the world.

Gaming company 888 Holdings was facing more questions over its overseas operations today after it emerged French authorities wanted to interview its former chief executive John Anderson.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes said today that it was planning a bid to run Britain’s first Las Vegas-style supercasino as it unveiled better-than-expected profits for 2006 at £246.5m (€367.6m).

Shares in gaming group 888 Holdings surged today as investors reacted to the possibility of a £470m (€702.7m) takeover by high street bookie Ladbrokes.

London bucked the downward trend for world markets today as investors in the UK reacted calmly to the news of a nuclear test in North Korea.

BOOKMAKER Paddy Power’s share price slumped as much as 2.5% during trading after the US legislators banned Internet gaming.

Mining stocks helped the FTSE 100 Index return to positive territory during another busy session for corporate news today.

In light of racketeering charges against the chief executive of BetonSports it should come as little surprise that key players in the online gaming industry were feeling edgy about their whereabouts this week.

Online gaming giant PartyGaming led the FTSE 100 Index further into positive territory today as comments from rival 888 cheered the sector.

Internet casino 888 Holdings gave encouragement to the online gaming sector today as the number of regular players on its tables more than doubled in 12 months.

The world’s largest online casino made its stock market debut today at a flotation price towards the lower end of expectations.

The world’s largest online casino today valued its flotation as high as £714m (€1.1bn), in the latest test of London City’s appetite for internet gaming stocks.

THE flotation of online casino 888 is on track and there are no plans to cut the valuation of the group, a spokeswoman said on Sunday, knocking down talk the listing could be cut in value or even cancelled.

The world’s largest online casino unveiled plans today to float on the stock market and cash in on the flurry of investor interest in internet gaming.