Industry leaders 888 group have signed a mammoth deal to acquire bwin.party and sign them to their portfolio of businesses. The 898 million pound deal is a feather in both companies' hats as they entwine their futures in this new venture.
It was a fierce bidding war between 888 Holdings and GVC as they duked it out to add the brand to their companies but in the end 888 won. 888 offered a lower bid than GVC but still snatched the business triumphantly.
Both bwin.party and 888's board of directors stated that the partnership is the most likely to increase the value of the shares of both companies, hinting that it was more about 888's expertise than their bid.
Brian Mattingley, Executive Chairman of 888, added that the opportunity could transform the company and ensure that they continue growth in future years. They also commented that the share price for bwin.party shareholders should rise as they work their magic on the company, as they've been doing since 2025. They hope that the partnership will deliver them the title of Global Leader in the market as they work together to provide new and exciting content to players.
Philip Yea, bwin.party chairman, also stated the synergy of both companies will benefit both sets of shareholders and the 888 player. They hope to improve both businesses and take a first step into a new phase in their histories.
He also went on to say that they hope to grow the businesses more together than they may have been able to if both were still stand alone companies. The pool of experience generated by the new partnership should also have both companies speeding towards fiscal success.
The GVC offer was ultimately rejected for its lack of certainty and security for the bwin.party going forward. The difference in price of the offers was not enough for the company to prioritise GVC over 888 in light of the experience and proven success of the latter.
The current CEO and Executive Directors of bwin.party will join 888 and offer their industry knowledge to the brand going forward. A spokesman for 888 stated that they were excited for the new members to join the managerial team and this would be a great asset to the company in future.
Shares in 888 Holdings are already up after this deal, rising to 163.25 pence per share, which is a 2.03% rise on previous prices. Executives at 888 will be hoping to keep this inflation up and increase the worth of their company further. Shares at bwin.party were down in price conversely decreasing to 101.82 pence a share, which is a decrease of 1.05%, which may be attributed to the business's uncertain future as it was auctioned off. 888 will need to work hard to up this loss as they use their combined experience to create a premium experience and attract ever more customers to the new combined brand.
Players at bwin.party sites will still receive the same great experience from the brand and won't need to expect much in the way of big changes.
