It has been confirmed by UK publication, This is Money, that it inevitably appears betting firm, Ladbrokes, will be acquiring online casino and gambling group, 888. The two companies have been in business negotiations since early November, and have since been coming closer to striking a deal. Sources close to the negotiation table have told reporters that a deal looks imminent, and that it may very well be finalized by the middle of this month.

888, which powered two of the Web's most successful online gaming sites, namely 888 online casino and 888 poker, is said to be worth over 490 Million, with 300 Million being held by founding partners and brothers, Ron and Shay Ben-Yitzhak and Avi and Aaron Shaked. Operated by Cassava Enterprises, 888 Casino, also known as Casino on Net, and 888 Poker, also known as Pacific Poker, were some of the first gaming sites to go online in the late nineties, and could arguably be considered two of the most successful internet betting destinations to do business on the Web.

As for Ladbrokes, their global expansion is definitely going as planned. Ladbrokes is the largest off-track bookmaker in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 2,000 betting shops, as well as approximately 250 off-course betting outlets in Belgium. Under strict licensing and regulation, Ladbrokes online is a highly sought after all-in-one gambling site. An acquisition of 888 would stand for one of the largest online gambling empires to date. Ladbrokes already operates one of the most comprehensive online sportsbooks, in addition to offering lotto, arcade, skill and online casino games.