15th Jul 2005 10:04
Hilton Group PLC15 July 2005 LADBROKES ACQUIRES JACK BROWN LTD. Ladbrokes, the betting and gaming division of Hilton Group plc, has todayacquired Jack Brown (Bookmaker) Limited, the Welsh betting shop company with 141shops. The private sale is for a consideration of £76 million, payable tovarious vendors. The purchase of Jack Brown Ltd. by Ladbrokes increases its shop numbers in Walesfrom 29 to 156. The remaining 14 shops Ladbrokes is acquiring are located inthe Birmingham area. Over the next six months the Jack Brown shops will be rebranded as Ladbrokes,equipped with Ladbrokes industry-leading technology, comprising EPOS1, advancedbroadcast systems and Ladbrokes Xtra, a new dedicated channel offeringadditional betting opportunities on international horseracing and sport. Theexisting FOBT offering will also be expanded with the introduction of LadbrokesCashquest FOBTs. Full refurbishment will take place over the next 18 monthswith a capital investment programme of £12 million. Ladbrokes expects the estate to contribute an EBITDA of £4 million in the secondhalf of 2005. As part of the integration process Ladbrokes will ultimately close the headoffice of Jack Brown in Pontypridd. Commenting on the deal Chris Bell, Chief Executive of Ladbrokes Worldwide said:"We are delighted to have acquired this well established and well run estate ofshops in Wales. We know it has a great and promising future." Commenting on behalf of Jack Brown Limited, Gary Brown Managing Director said: "The betting business has been run by our family for over 78 years, so it wasimportant that we found the right partner for our sale. We know that Ladbrokeswill ensure the business has a bright future." For further information contact: Media Ciaran O'Brien 07976 180 173 ciaran.o'[email protected] Pagett 07974 229888 [email protected] Investor RelationsJames Mason 07974 229462 [email protected] 1EPOS - Electronic Point of Sale is Ladbrokes advanced bet capture and settlingsystem which also enables distribution of advanced broadcasts and informationscreens into betting shops. NOTES TO EDITORS The acquisition takes the number of Ladbrokes shops worldwide to 2,567,comprised of 2,260 in the UK, Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland and 307shops in Belgium. In addition Ladbrokes now has betting facilities at 61sporting venues throughout the UK with the Millennium Stadium being added to 18of the 20 FA Premier League stadia and 13 leading Scottish stadia includingHampden Park and Murrayfield. Ladbrokes also operates further facilities atracecourses and cricket grounds. Ladbrokes, the world's largest bookmaker, will now trade in 2,567 outlets inEurope, comprising: UK Betting Shops 2111Ireland Betting Shops 141Channel Islands 8Belgium 307 ABOUT LADBROKES Ladbrokes, the betting and gaming division of Hilton Group plc, is the world'sbiggest bookmaker. It provides its customers with a 24-hour a day, 7-days aweek service via over 2,500 licensed betting shops in the UK, Ireland andBelgium, state of the art call centres in London and Liverpool and itsinteractive services. Over 1 million registered customers from 160 countriesbet on the internet with Ladbrokes at www.ladbrokes.com, www.ladbrokespoker.com, www.ladbrokescasino.com and www.ladbrokesgames.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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