Ladbrokes-Coral Sells Shops to Betfred and Stan James Ladbrokes-Coral sells shops to Betfred and Stan James 17 October 2016 Ladbrokes and Coral have actually consented to sell 359 shops to rival wagering firms in what they say is the "last substantial difficulty" for their ₤ 2.7 bn merger. Betfred, owned by billionaire Fred Done, will purchase 322 shops and Stan James the other 37 for an overall of ₤ 55.5 m. Competition regulators ruled in July that Ladbrokes and Coral must offer 350-400 look for their merger to be cleared. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will now evaluate the shop deals, external. Jim Mullen, the president of Ladbrokes, stated: "The sale of these stores will clear the last substantial hurdle to delivering on the merger with Coral and paves the way for our concentrate on conclusion and quickly providing on the opportunities the merger provides." The two bookies said they would look for approval from the CMA to finish the merger once they sell one additional store. Market leader Ladbrokes and Gala Coral are the UK's 2nd and third biggest retail wagering companies, behind William Hill. Ladbrokes has about 2,150 outlets in Britain and 77 in Northern Ireland. Coral runs 1,850 stores in Britain. A merger in between the two would make them the UK's largest High Street bookmaker. However, William Hill is seeking its own tie-up with Canadian operator Amaya, owner of the PokerStars franchise, to stay up to date with the competition and bolster its online offering. It was extensively reported, external over the weekend that William Hill plans to press ahead with the ₤ 4.5 bn offer despite misgivings from its largest shareholder. Ladbrokes-Coral should sell 350-400 stores 26 July 2016 William Hill investor snubs merger strategy 14 October 2016 Investors - Ladbrokes plc