William Hill Approached by 888 and Rank For Gambling Merger William Hill approached by 888 and Rank for gambling merger UK wagering firm William Hill has actually been approached by competing gaming companies 888 and Rank Group about a merger. William Hill said it would "listen to and consider" any proposition. However, it was not clear that a combination of William Hill, 888 and Rank would "provide remarkable worth", the company stated, external. Online operator 888 and Rank, the UK's greatest casino chain, said they saw "significant commercial reasoning in the mix". William Hill stated the method was "extremely initial", while Rank and 888 said they had not yet made a formal offer to the bookmaker's board. Shares in William Hill increased 4.8%, while 888 shares increased 3.4% and Rank lost 0.5%. 'Surprise' The relocation comes just days after William Hill's primary executive, James Henderson, was ousted from the UK's greatest wagering store operator following a series of revenue cautions. Mr Henderson, who took the helm in August 2014, had failed to resolve problems in the company's having a hard time online service. In May, its latest trading update, the company stated, external net incomes had fallen 11% in its online department in the 17 weeks to 26 April. William Hill's shares have actually dropped 21% since the start of the year, valuing the previous FTSE 100 firm at ₤ 2.7 bn. David Jennings, an expert at Davy, stated the news was "certainly a surprise, considered that the combined worth of 888 and Rank is ₤ 1.7 bn". Rank and 888 stated there was "no certainty that any deal will ultimately occur". Rank's president, Henry Birch, is a former head of William Hill's online division. Under UK takeover guidelines, the firms have until 21 August to either make a company deal or leave.