William Hill Approached by 888 and Rank For Gambling Merger William Hill approached by 888 and Rank for betting merger UK betting firm William Hill has actually been approached by rival gambling business 888 and Rank Group about a merger. William Hill stated it would "listen to and think about" any proposition. However, it was unclear that a combination of William Hill, 888 and Rank would "provide exceptional value", the business stated, external. Online operator 888 and Rank, the UK's most significant casino chain, said they saw "significant industrial reasoning in the mix". William Hill stated the technique was "highly preliminary", while Rank and 888 said they had not yet made a formal deal 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 move comes simply days after William Hill's chief executive, James Henderson, was ousted from the UK's greatest betting shop operator following a series of earnings cautions. Mr Henderson, who took the helm in August 2014, had actually failed to deal with issues in the firm's having a hard time online company. In May, its newest trading update, the company stated, external net earnings had fallen 11% in its online division in the 17 weeks to 26 April. William Hill's shares have dropped 21% considering that the start of the year, valuing the previous FTSE 100 company at ₤ 2.7 bn. David Jennings, an expert at Davy, stated the news was "certainly a surprise, considered that the combined value of 888 and Rank is ₤ 1.7 bn". Rank and 888 stated there was "no certainty that any transaction will ultimately happen". Rank's chief executive, Henry Birch, is a former head of William Hill's online division. Under UK takeover rules, the companies have till 21 August to either make a company offer or walk away.