JemmaPage published Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral agree £2.3bn merger -...

Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral have agreed a merger which will create a £2.3 billion betting group.The combined operation will bring together 48 of the bookmakers' stores in Nottingham.The tie-up will make the new group Britain's number one retail player with about 4,000 shops – almost half of the British market.The deal comes just one week after online betting company 888 agreed at £900 million takeover of rival Bwin.party.Ladbrokes' chief executive officer Jim Mullen, who was