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 26 August 2010, William Hill announced its half-year results for the 26 weeks ended 29 June 2010. A strong year-on-year net revenue and profit growth in the first half of 2010 in William Hill Online has enabled the Group as a whole to deliver growth in net revenue of c3% to £529.9m and in pre-exceptional EBITA of c1% to £135.6m. The Group has also seen a strong performance from machines in its Retail channel. This is particularly positive performance in a UK market with ongoing consumer uncertainty, as evidenced by the c2% turnover decline seen in over-the-counter (OTC) betting in the Retail channel.
Financials
Shares in issue
701,165,351 shares in issue as at 1 July 2010.
Listings
William Hill is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol WMH.L).
Market capitalisation
Market Cap: £1.22bn as at 1 July 2010.
Employees
William Hill employs around 16,600 people in the UK, Ireland, 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
