William Hill to move telebetting operations to Gibraltar

July 26, 2010

Bookmaker William Hill has announced it is to start up a new telephone betting operation offshore in Gibraltar.

It said the move was in response to offshore telebetting operators and betting exchanges which “enjoy tax advantages”.

Companies based offshore do not have to pay the Horseracing Betting Levy, ampoule which UK-based bookmakers have to pay in order to take bets on British races.

As part of the move, drugs a call centre in Leeds will be closed, and another in Sheffield will be run by outsourcer Vertex.

William Hill chief executive Ralph Topping said: “This significant change to our telephone business is a response to the challenge of competing with betting exchanges and offshore telebetting operators, all of whom have benefited from significant cost and tax advantages over UK bookmakers.

“This has made it impossible for our existing business to compete profitably from the UK.”