Key facts
Description
William Hill is synonymous with delivering a thrilling gaming and betting experience, whether online, in our shops, on the phone, or on the move. A trusted brand, taking almost £17bn in stakes in 2010, we are building our business by bringing the excitement of gaming and betting to UK and international customers through strong online and retail partnerships. Our expertise, passion and relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction deliver an unrivalled experience for our customers, sustainable growth for the business and good returns for our shareholders.
History
Founded in 1934, William Hill is one of the best-known names in the UK gambling industry. The company started out as a postal / telephone betting service where a punter would send a bet with a cheque weeks in advance of an event. In 1961, betting shops became legal and William Hill joined the market in 1966. Today we are the largest UK operator of betting shops, with over 2,350 shops representing around 25% of the market. 1998 was an important year for William Hill, when we became the first in the industry to launch an online betting facility, our Sportsbook. The Internet has changed the face of the industry, bringing in new, younger punters for a range of gambling and gaming activities, as well as providing an easy way to place a bet.
Operations
William Hill has two sets of operations, online and land-based. William Hill Online is one of the leading European online gaming and sports betting businesses. Our online Sportsbook serves customers from over 175 countries and we offer online casino, poker, bingo and skill games. Our land-based operations include our network of over 2,350 shops in the UK and Ireland.
Corporate responsibility
Gambling is a fun, exciting and popular pastime, ingrained in our culture. For most, it is an enjoyable leisure activity. However there is a small number of people for whom gambling is a problem, and we recognise our responsibility in helping to tackle that problem. Corporate responsibility for William Hill is about more than those few customers who suffer from a problem with gambling. It is about how we do business, and how we treat all our stakeholders: employees, suppliers, customers and the communities in which we operate.
Financial results
On 5 August 2011, William Hill announced its full-year results for the 26 weeks ended 28 June 2011. Despite the challenging consumer backdrop, the Group has delivered a strong result in the first half of 2011 with good net revenue and operating profit growth. Group net revenue grew 7% to £567.8m and operating profit was around the top end of market expectations at £147.7m.
William Hill Online delivered strong Sportsbook growth, benefitting from an innovative mobile offering and from further expansion in both pre-match and in-play markets, all of which were supported by marketing investment. Net revenue for the Online division grew 23% to £152.7m in the first half and operating profit was 24% higher at £55.9m. Retail saw 7% growth in total amounts wagered in spite of rolling over the first part of an exceptional World Cup performance in 2010, with a continuation of its recent strong performance in gaming machines and with 2% growth in over-the-counter (OTC) amounted staked. Whilst the OTC gross win margin at 16.8% was slightly below the normal trading range, total net revenue for the Retail division was 2% ahead and operating profit was 1% higher at £104.0m.
The Group generated net cash inflow from operating activities of £128.9m, which after taking account of financing costs, investments in the US and capital expenditure resulted in a further reduction in net debt for covenant purposes to £460.1m.
Financials
Shares in issue
701,905,680 shares in issue as at 31 October 2011.
Listings
William Hill is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol WMH.L).
Market capitalisation
Market Cap: £1.42bn as at 30 November 2011.
Employees
William Hill employs around 15,000 people in the UK, Gibraltar, Israel and Bulgaria.
Head Office and Registered Office
William Hill
Greenside House
50 Station Road
Wood Green
London N22 7TP
UK
Tel: +44 020 8918 3600
Contact us
Registered Office: Greenside House, 50 Station Road, Wood Green, London N22 7TP.
Registration Number 4212563 England
