Nick Rust, the leader of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), has contacted the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to voice worries about the possible effects of the planned Ladbrokes and Coral merger on the horse racing sector. He contends that the CMA’s inquiry hasn’t completely examined the significance of betting establishments to horse racing. He’s apprehensive that even with the divestiture of numerous shops, the unified entity would still wield excessive market control and could negatively impact racing.
Should the William Hill purchase of these wagering establishments fall through, the leading pair of corporations within the UK’s betting shop sector would hold a remarkable 65-70% of all such venues.
This is a major worry, as emphasized by sector veteran, Chris Rust. He makes a comparison to a similar attempted consolidation back in 1998 involving Ladbrokes and Coral. That agreement was ultimately stopped by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) over competitive concerns.
Rust highlights the stark contrast in market dominance then versus now. In 1998, the MMC considered a joint market share of 60% as damaging to competition and potentially detrimental to horse racing and consumer pricing. Currently, even with the proposed sales, the combined entity would command a 40-45% share, with the top two firms controlling a massive 70%.
Rust’s observations hold significance, given his vast background in the field. He held prominent roles at both Ladbrokes and Gala Coral, including Commercial Director at Ladbrokes and Managing Director of Retail Betting at Gala Coral.
This recent event comes after William Hill’s public disapproval in June of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) inquiry into betting shop competition. A mere three days later, Paddy Power Betfair also expressed their worries, stating their apprehension that “any divestiture remedies are highly likely to be unsuccessful.”
Ladbrokes has affirmed its collaboration with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) inquiry, declining to address submissions from other entities. This unfolds amid an ongoing CMA probe into the Ladbrokes and Coral amalgamation, a transaction facing scrutiny for its possible effects on rivalry within the UK wagering sector. Although Ladbrokes stays silent, the absence of remarks from Gala Coral is quite telling and implies there might be hidden complexities in this situation.