Sept 3 (Reuters) - Bwin.party Digital Entertainment's board, which had been backing a buyout offer from 888Holdings, has switched preference to now favor a rivalbid from GVC Holdings, the Telegraph reported.
The chairman of GVC, Lee Feldman, said on Tuesday that GVCcould go hostile if Bwin, an online gambling company, continuedto recommend 888 Holdings' offer, the Times newspaper reported.(http://thetim.es/1hSLo2W)
In July Bwin had accepted a 900 million-pound ($1.37billion) cash and share offer from 888, preferring it to ahigher but more complex offer from GVC.
Bwin, which has been up for sale since November, received arevised offer from 888 on Monday, but did not provide details ofthe proposal.
According to the Telegraph, Bwin's board met late onThursday to discuss the buyout offers from both bidders. (http://bit.ly/1EDn6UG)
The company, like its smaller rivals and suitors, 888 andGVC, offers casino, poker, bingo and sports betting.
GVC, Bwin.party and 888 could not be reached outside regularUK business hours for comment.
($1 = 0.6558 pounds) (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Editing by LeslieAdler)