Ladbrokes and Coral to quit betting ring as GVC terminates on-course operations

The departure of racecourse betting ring heavyweights Ladbrokes and Coral was labelled as a “sad loss” and a “sign of the times” on Tuesday after all 106 pitches operated by the firms were sold to on-course bookmaker Sid Hooper.

Eighty-five pitches in Britain and 21 in Ireland, including prime locations at 41 courses such as Ascot, Cheltenham, Haydock and York, were sold as part of a deal after GVC Holdings, the parent company of Ladbrokes and Coral, deemed the sites no longer held “strategic purpose”.

Neither GVC nor Sid Hooper’s managing director John Hooper would confirm the amount paid for the pitches, but Willam Hill reportedly received £2 million when selling 82 on-course sites to Sid Hooper in 2018.