The merger is expected to complete in the second quarter of 2018 and still has a hurdle to face with the government review into fixed-odds betting terminals which make up 60 per cent of betting shop profits Alan Crowhurst/GettyAndy Hornby will take on the job of joint chief operating officer of GVC Holdings after the online gambling operator behind Sportingbet and Foxy Bingo completes its £4 billion takeover of Ladbrokes Coral Group. The former chief executive of HBOS, the lender that came close to collapse in 2008, will not be joining the main board at the merged group, in acknowledgement of the controversy associated with the government bailout of the bank. Mr Hornby, who is chief operating officer at Ladbrokes Coral, will nevertheless have responsibility for all retail betting in the UK and Europe and all digital marketing. GVC, which two weeks ago disclosed it was in advanced talks over the deal, yesterday announced it had reached agreement on a recommended takeover valuing…

Source: The Times December 22, 2017 09:11 UTC