William Hill plans to cut about a third of its betting shops and jobs in the UK after the British government slashed the maximum stake permitted on fixed-odds terminals, dubbed the “crack cocaine” of gambling by their critics.

William Hill said of its store closure plans: "This follows the Government's decision to reduce the maximum stake on B2 gaming products to £2 on 1 April 2019.

Flutter Entertainment - the holding company of betting firms Paddy Power and Betfair - is unlikely to play a part in an expected fresh wave of consolidation in the UK online gambling sector.

It may have largely been a Cheltenham week to forget for bookmakers but the punter-friendly results have not led to a fall for industry leaders like Paddy Power.

William Hill is to sell its Australian business for 300 million Australian dollars (€188.7 million) to CrownBet following a gambling crackdown in the country.

Shares in Paddy Power-Betfair jumped by over 3% on the back of reports linking the Dublin-based betting and gaming services group with Australian online betting firm CrownBet, writes Geoff Percival.

Bookie William Hill said it expects full-year operating profit to be at the higher end of its forecast, as its online business improved after a poor first half, helping lift its battered shares.

Betting giant William Hill said full-year profits would be at the top end of its target as plans to turn around its struggling online business began to bear fruit.

William Hill’s largest investor has come out against its proposed merger with PokerStars owner Amaya, saying the UK bookmaker should pursue a sale instead.

A press leak was one of the main reasons that 888 Holdings and Rank Group failed in their £3.1bn pursuit of UK bookmaker William Hill, according to 888 chief executive Itai Frieberger.

Profits at William Hill were boosted by a strong Euro 2016 in the first half of the year, helping offset a dire Cheltenham Festival.

Bookmakers BoyleSports has reconfirmed its interest in scooping up retail shops in the UK after Britain’s competition watchdog said Ladbrokes and Gala Coral must sell around 350 to 400 shops to obtain clearance for their proposed merger.

A sense of both joy and relief could be detected in the smile on the face of Aidan O’Brien after Minding destroyed her rivals to confirm superiority over her peers when leading home a remarkable one-two-three for the trainer in the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket yesterday.

Paddy Power-Betfair has no immediate plans to replace outgoing chief operating officer Andy McCue — whose departure was announced yesterday — with his role set to be subsumed by chief executive Breon Corcoran for the foreseeable future.

Tea For Two produced a visually exceptional display at Kempton on Saturday when he turned the William Hill Lanzarote Hurdle into nothing more than a routine canter.

A sports betting business formed in 2001 was today valued at £800m after broadcaster Sky sold a controlling stake in the operation.

Virgil van Dijk’s second-half goal gave Celtic a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle at Parkhead and took Ronny Deila’s side three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Any horse called John F Kennedy, trained by Aidan O’Brien, was always destined to attract more than normal attention.

Punters have dealt a €11m profits blow to Paddy Power after the bookmaker was stung by poor racing and football results.

It’s impossible to oppose Jezki on his seasonal bow in today’s Grade 2 WKD Hurdle in Down Royal.

The jubilant grandfather of football star Harry Wilson is set to bank £125,000 after betting the teenager would play for Wales - when he was only 18 months old.

Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their baby son would be called George Alexander Louis.

Favourites Denmark could prove a disaster for bookies if they land their predicted win at the Eurovision Song Contest tonight.

Neil Lennon made one change to his Celtic side for their potential Clydesdale Bank Premier League-clinching game against Inverness at Parkhead.

Willie Mullins produced a terrific training feat to land the William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Champagne Fever.

Ladbrokes Plc rose to its highest in five years after the UK gambling operator said it expanded a partnership for online and mobile software with Playtech Ltd, which ended a joint venture with William Hill Plc this month.

Solwhit is set to take his chance in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday week after pleasing trainer Charles Byrnes in a gallop on Saturday.

Don Cossack will not line up at the Cheltenham Festival after finishing only third at Naas last Sunday.

Willie Mullins looks set to resist the lure of Cheltenham with Annie Power and head instead to Fairyhouse over the Easter period after her victory in the paddypower.com Novice Hurdle at Naas.

The Willie Mullins-trained Mozoltov booked his ticket to Cheltenham when getting the better of favourite Don Cossack in a tremendous tussle for the Grade 2 Racing UK Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle.

Kilmarnock 2 Inverness 0

Gaming firm Sportingbet today said wagers on sport events had taken a dive in its first quarter as the number of fixtures declined.

The London market started the fourth quarter strongly today as positive economic data from the US and renewed optimism over Spain’s banks boosted investor confidence.

Online gambling firm Sportingbet has snubbed a £350m takeover proposal from Britain’s biggest bookmaker William Hill, it was reported today.

Bookmakers have pledged to refund all bets placed on who would light the Olympic cauldron after some of Britain’s greatest Olympians teamed up with young athletes for the honour.

The boom in mobile phone betting helped bookmaker William Hill post a 13% rise in profits today after an “outstanding” performance from its online arm.

The Government’s planned online betting tax is expected to raise nearly €50 million for the Exchequer in its first three years and absorb payment from almost 80% of relevant companies in its first year.

Neil Lennon admits he has to improve his conduct as he gets ready for another meeting with the Scottish Football Association’s judicial panel on Thursday.

The rise of online betting continued to boost William Hill today after the bookmaker reported a 19% jump in first-quarter profits.

A 17-year-old boy has admitted killing a pensioner during last summer’s English riots.

THERE doesn't seem to be any logical reason why one would oppose Hurricane Fly in this afternoon's Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.