William Hill and Amaya Abandon Merger Talks William Hill and Amaya desert merger talks 18 October 2016 British bookmaker William Hill and Amaya, owner of the world's most significant online poker service, have ended talks of a possible ₤ 4.5 bn merger. William Hill stated it took the choice, external after canvassing views from a number of major shareholders. Last week, its greatest financier, Parvus Asset Management, greatly criticised the tie-up. Canada's Amaya, external, which owns PokerStars, said that staying independent was the very best relocation for shareholders. Amaya said: "Discussions have concluded, and Amaya and William Hill have actually identified that they will no longer pursue the merger." 'Limited logic' News of the talks emerged earlier this month, with William Hill stating a merger would create "a clear international leader across online sports betting, poker and gambling establishment". However, Parvus said the offer had "minimal strategic logic" and would "damage shareholder worth". The FTSE 250 bookie is looking to keep up as a lot of its close competitors combine. Paddy Power and Betfair have merged to develop a FTSE 100 betting company, while Ladbrokes and Coral are combining to become the UK's greatest High Street bookie. Ladbrokes reported a 12% increase in third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, enhanced by online growth and poor results for fan-favourites Manchester United and Barcelona. William Hill, which ousted its president in July after a string of profit warnings, saw off a takeover technique from casino company Rank and online operator 888 2 months ago. Meanwhile, Amaya's shares have actually fallen 30% in the previous 12 months amidst an expert trading examination into its previous chief executive, the hazard of a $870m (₤ 710m) fine in Kentucky, and slowing prospects for online poker.