Betfred offers to sell betting shops

BOOKMAKER Betfred has offered to sell a betting shop in each of the 25 areas where regulators are concerned about competition following its takeover of the Tote, its former UK government-run rival.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Dec 2011, 06:00 BST

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is now considering the offer, but said Betfred must find buyers for the 25 stores before it can sanction the takeover deal.

In July, Betfred, which has 840 shops in the UK, was chosen to buy the Tote’s 517 outlets. While the OFT said there were no competition concerns at a national level, it found 26 local areas where issues would occur.