As known from:
sky sportscricketworldTorquay United
Contains commercial content
Best Betting Sites UK / Gambling Mega Merger Between Flutter And Stars Given Green Light

Gambling Mega Merger Between Flutter And Stars Given Green Light

Publish Date: 02/04/2020
Fact checked by: Jordan Noble

Gambling Mega Merger Between Flutter And Stars Given Green Light

Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, the gambling industry ‘mega merger’ between Flutter (owned by Paddy Power) and Canadian based Stars has been given the go-ahead.

The investigation which began in February 2023, concluded last month. It cleared the £10 billion deal which saw Flutter acquire Stars. Stars had previously bought Sky Betting and Gaming in April 2018 for an agreed price of $4.7 billion.

Punters fears about odds and promotion allayed

There were initial concerns put forward by the Competition and Markets Authority that punters would end up with less favourable odds and would miss out on generous promotions if the merger went ahead. However, the investigation found that although merging companies would compete closely, there were enough ‘close competitors’ to mean that the merger wouldn’t affect anyone who chose to bet online.

As part of their investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority found that, in general, there was enough healthy competition between current online betting companies for new customers and for regular customers to switch should they choose to. They also stated there were enough sports book business operators of varying sizes to ensure the decision was sustainable for all. Current rivals and close competitors are Bet365, Coral, GVC/Ladbrokes and William Hill.

The deal is scheduled to complete during the second half of 2023 and the two companies hope to make what they’re terming ‘cost synergies’ following completion. The announcement was hailed as a significant milestone by the Chief Executive of Flutter, Peter Jackson. He made the assurance that they would be working closely with all the remaining regulatory authorities both nationally and internationally to make sure they got all the approvals they needed.

Flutter and Stars hope to achieve £140m of 'cost synergies' as a result of the deal, which is due to complete in the second quarter of 2023.

USA market is now a target

Most states in the USA have fairly relaxed sports betting laws and this means that with the merger of the two companies they can effectively start to tap into the American markets. This is potentially good news due to the tighter restrictions and tougher regulations placed upon betting in the United Kingdom over the last few years which have created challenges in the marketplace.

Timescales for the merger are likely to be somewhat delayed with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak but should only be on hold temporarily. Other regulators in Austria, Germany and the USA have also given their conditional approval for the merger as well.

Good news comes after a difficult month on the stock market

The deal is also seen as good news for Flutter after a particularly testing few weeks on the stock markets due to the fallout from the impact of coronavirus on the UK stock exchange. The market value of the Paddy Power owned company had seen its value shrink by a quarter in the last four weeks. This is mainly due to the number of sporting fixtures that have been cancelled across the board.

The share price of the company jumped by just over nine percent in the wake of the Competition and Markets Authority approval of the merger. It now stands at 7.258p. This comes in the wake of continuous drops due to the global health pandemic.

The Financial Conduct Authority had previously stated that Flutter had been the FTSE’s second most shorted stock during the previous week and its stock had gone down by well over thirty percent due to lost revenue from postponed or cancelled sporting events.

This merger is just one of several different ones that the Competition and Markets Authority have been working on in recent months.

Read Also
The Bosses’ Lounge (Vol. 31) – Danny Grainger (Workington AFC)
It was a playing farewell to ‘his’ club at the end of ...
The Bosses’ Lounge (Vol. 30) – Alun Armstrong (Darlington)
Transitioning to some of non-league’s scarcities has brought its challenges for marksman ...
DAZN BET Promo
The Players’ Bar…with Scott Burton (Chester FC)
Instantly and understandably associated with joint-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley, Scott ...
The Bosses’ Lounge (Vol. 17) – Phil Parkinson (Altrincham)
Altrincham’s 85-goal haul to finish top scorers in last season’s National League ...
The Bosses’ Lounge (Vol. 12) – Jon Macken (Radcliffe FC)
Jon Macken has felt firsthand the rush of hitting the net at ...
Bookmaker of the Month
Bwin - Get Your Bonus Now! Get Your Bonus Now!
Claim your £30 BetUK Bonus!
Betting Tips
10/12/2023 - 2:00 pm
Kenilworth Road
Tip:
Over
1.86
Bet365
10/12/2023 - 2:30 am
Goodison Park
Tip:
Home Win
11/5
Ladbrokes
10/12/2023 - 12:00 am
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tip:
Over
1.90
Bet365
Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
Rhino Bet
Rhino Bet
Rhino Bet Review
4.6/5
Betfred
Betfred
Betfred Review
4.6/5
SportingIndex
SportingIndex
SportingIndex Review
4.6/5
CopyBet
CopyBet
CopyBet Review
4.5/5
Sportingbet
Sportingbet
Sportingbet Review
4.5/5
Rhino Bet
Rhino Bet Bonus
Bet £25 Get £10
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
Betfred
Betfred Bonus
Bet £10 get £40 in Bonuses
T&Cs apply, 18+
4.6/5
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required
SportingIndex
SportingIndex Bonus
BET £10, GET £20 IN FREE BETS
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
*New UK & Eire clients only. 50% cashback on cumulative net losses on qualifying spread bets placed and settled within 7 days of account opening. Fully, partially or reverse closed bets do not qualify. Max cashback £500. Full terms apply. Spread betting involves risk. Losses can exceed deposits. Always bet responsibly. 18+
CopyBet
CopyBet Bonus
Bet £10 Get £40
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Sportingbet
Sportingbet Bonus
Claim Freebets & more
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Get up to £50 in FreeBets, an Odds Boost Token, 20 Free Spins and £10 Casino Bonus when you sign up to sportingbet today. Get rewarded as you complete our 4 Welcome Challenges, plus get an extra £20 FreeBet when you complete all 4.
Who tops our list?
best online casinos
Our Team
James LeelandAmos MurphyGinger JoeMike McKeanJordan Noble
+6
James Leeland
James Leeland
Editor
Amos Murphy
Amos Murphy
Sports Writer
Ginger Joe
Ginger Joe
Expert Punter
Mike McKean
Mike McKean
Editor
Jordan Noble
Jordan Noble
Sports Writer
Alyx Tzamantanis
Alyx Tzamantanis
Editor
Jamie Clark
Jamie Clark
Contributor
Matthew O'Regan
Matthew O'Regan
Non League Tipster
Geoff Banks
Geoff Banks
Columnist
Dave Kuzio
Dave Kuzio
Content Manager
Zack Wilson
Zack Wilson
Contributor
Get the Best Deals via Mail
By providing my e-mail address, I declare that I agree that Betting.co.uk will regularly send me information by e-mail: I can revoke my consent at any time.

Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.

Trading financial products carries a high risk to your capital, especially trading leverage products such as CFDs. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.

Move to Top
Close
Bwin Offer
×
Your Bonus Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Visit Site