Gala Coral

Gala Coral
Activity Integrated betting and gaming company
Location UK
Acquired March 2003/October 2005
Transaction value £3.4 billion
Sales* £1.3 billion
Employees Approximately 19,000
Cinven representatives Peter Catterall, Guy Davison
Senior management
Chairman
CEO
CFO
Group Company Secretary
Neil Goulden
Dominic Harrison
Gary Hughes
Julian Cronk
* 12 months ending December 2009 (unaudited)
www.galacoral.co.uk
Gala Coral

Business description

Gala Coral is Europe's leading high-volume, low-stake integrated betting and gaming company with strong market positions in licensed betting offices, bingo and casinos.

Cinven strategy

Cinven acquired Gala in March 2003. Building on the experience gained in the sector through the acquisition of William Hill, Cinven's strategy for Gala as a stand-alone business was to invest substantially in the core bingo business with a view to increasing market share. Over the longer term, Cinven has supported the management team's ambition to create an integrated, pan- European gaming business. Gala acquired Coral Eurobet in October 2005 to further this aim, creating Europe's largest integrated betting and gaming group, which is the market leader in bingo, number three in licensed betting offices and casinos, and a force in online gaming.