Gala was the leading high-volume, low stake gaming business in the UK, with the largest licensed bingo operations and the third largest casino operations in the UK. In October 2005, Cinven and its co-sponsors acquired Coral, the UK’s third largest bookmaker and internet gaming operator, and merged the two companies. The enlarged group was the leading integrated betting and gaming company in Europe with more than 2,000 outlets across the UK and Italy.