William Hill has held talks with America’s biggest casino owner about a £6bn merger.

The mooted deal would have seen the FTSE 250 bookmaker swallowed up by Caesars Entertainment. The pair held detailed discussions about a cash-and-shares deal last autumn.

The talks were undermined when Caesars warned in August of falling sales in Las Vegas, and finally fell apart over price. News of the talks, however, is likely to revive speculation that William Hill could become a takeover target.