888 Turns Down William Hill’s Acquisition Offer

February 16, 2015 | Despite reports late last week that the UK online gambling giant William Hill would acquire the Israeli online gambling company 888, the talks between the companies have reportedly failed. As a result, William Hill will not acquire 888 due to differences in opinion regarding the value of 888’s shares. 888 reported that the deal fell through to the London Stock Exchange, which saw the company’s shares up 20 percent following news of the announcement, only to have the share value fall by 15 percent at the announcement of the failed deal. “Due to a significant difference of opinion on value with a key stakeholder, it has not been possible to reach agreement on the terms of a possible offer and the board of the company has agreed with William Hill to terminate discussions,” 888 said. William Hill was set to purchase 888 for up to £750 million (approx. $1.15 billion).