Key facts
Description
William Hill is synonymous with delivering a thrilling gaming and betting experience, whether online, in our shops, or on the phone. A trusted brand, taking almost £15bn in stakes in 2008, 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 2,300 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 2,300 shops in the UK and Ireland, and our telephone betting service of two call centres capable of handling over 600 calls simultaneously.
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 4 August 2009, William Hill announced its interim results for the 26 weeks ended 30 June 2009. The group achieved a solid trading performance in the first half year, with net revenue of £515.5m and operating profit of £131.8m. Net revenue increased by 5% in comparison with the first 26 weeks in 2008. Online net revenue was up by 58% and online operating profit grew by 13%.
Financials
Shares in issue
700,946,879 shares in issue as at 31 December 2009.
Listings
William Hill is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol WMH.L).
Market capitalisation
Market Cap: £1.35bn as at 05 January 2010.
Employees
William Hill employs around 16,000 people in the UK, Ireland, Israel, Bulgaria and The Philippines.
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
