POOLE Stadium has been sold after the £14.2 million management buyout of its parent group Gaming International finally completed.

The buyout was led by Gaming International CEO Clarke Osborne and two fellow directors.

It makes Mr Osborne the UK's biggest single private promoter of greyhound racing. He is also a director of the British Greyhound Racing Board.

It takes Swindon-based Gaming International out of the Stock Exchange and back into private ownership via the MBO team acquiring company TokLon Ltd.

Gaming International owns three combined greyhound/speedway tracks at Poole, Reading and Swindon plus a further dog track at Milton Keynes.

The buyout has taken months to complete because Gaming International is part-based in Japan, owning a Pachinko gaming business in Tokyo.

Share acceptances had passed the crucial 50 per cent mark at 3pm on August 27 and the deal finally went unconditional yesterday.

"I believe that this deal marks the start of a new era for the company and represents exciting opportunities for our various operations in the UK and Japan," said Mr Osborne.

"Now though, it's business as usual with no changes to company strategy which has evolved in recent years."

New chairman Graham Parr (previously a non-executive director at Gaming International) said: "This is a great business with real potential.

"It has always been clear to me that it could not flourish in the public (listed) arena and I am delighted to be involved with its transition to private funding."