By this point, the company had already established its Web presence. Ladbrokes did not give up its betting shops, and when it merged with Gala Coral Group, the government deemed it had too many locations and would have to sell off approximately 350. It sold many of its hotels and casinos but used that money not only to create a successful website but to establish brand awareness throughout the world. In 2000, Ladbrokes transitioned its focus to online gambling. Pre-Internet, Ladbrokes was already a juggernaut that owned hotels and gambling operations around the world. Ladbrokes focused its efforts on local betting shops but also casinos. The organization nearly went out of business post-World War II and was sold for a mere £100,000, but its fortunes would change in 1961 when Britain legalized betting shops.
In 1902, the company moved to London and expanded to specialty bookmaking aimed at exclusive clientele. Ladbrokes was established in 1886 in support of Ladbroke Hall, an estate in Warwickshire where horses were trained. London-based Ladbrokes Coral is among the biggest brands in the world when it comes to wagering, and the company has evolved from a local off-track betting option to one of the Internet’s biggest sportsbooks. Anyone interested in sports betting or gambling in general has heard the name Ladbrokes.
