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Chris Bell, the Ladbrokes chief executive, has quit the bookmaker after nine years.
Mr Bell, 52, will step down this summer after a 20-year career at Ladbrokes that has seen the industry transformed by the internet, tax changes and the introduction of fixed-odds betting terminals as well as a diversification away from horse racing. His departure was revealed last night on www.telegraph.co.uk. But Mr Bells resolve to leave hardened in the autumn, not long after Octobers £275m rights issue a cash-call that irked some investors already annoyed at lacklustre trading. Mr Bell had hoped Ladbrokes would not need to raise fresh capital but those aspirations were undone by an unprecedented run of unfavourable football results, with just four draws in the first 66 Premiership matches this season. It left Labrokes football betting at just breakeven, which in typical style he described as a |