By 
Forget EastEnders, Coronation Street, or The Archers, Breaking Bad or The Wire, the Olympics or the World Cup, nothing has been more dramatic and suspenseful in recent years than the saga of the merger between Ladbrokes and Gala Coral.Between the need to release a host of betting shops between them to meet the requirements set out for the merger, and a world of other complications and bumps in the road, Ladbrokes and Gala Coral have finally completed their merger, leaving us all to wonder what we are going to do now?
About the merger
The merger between the two companies, which creates a new giant of the gambling industry, will see Ladbrokes merge with various Gala Coral brands including Coral Retail and Eurobet Retail.The £2.3 billion entity, which shall be known as Ladbrokes Coral Group PLC, is the result of 18 months of hard graft by both companies to get the deal finalised. In an online casino world that has seen tax increases and more result in various companies merging together, and many other attempted mergers fall before the final hurdle, it is Ladbrokes and Gala Coral who have created the biggest company to date, Ladbrokes Coral Group is not the UK’s biggest bookmaker.
Historic Day
Former Ladbrokes CEO Jim Mullen, who has taken over the reins of the newly merged company, said of the deal:“This is a historic day for the company and one which marks the start of an exciting journey for the business; both Ladbrokes and Gala Coral have demonstrated their ability to compete hard and win in increasingly competitive markets.”Carl Leaver, executive deputy chairman of Ladbrokes Coral and former CEO of Coral, added: “Our merger with Ladbrokes brings new and exciting opportunities for both companies and, under the leadership of Jim Mullen, we are now in a position to make our ambition of creating the UK’s leading betting and gaming business a reality.”