William Hill Moving Operations To Gibraltar

British gambling group William Hill has announced that it will be relocating its online betting, sportsbook and fixed-odds games operations from the UK to Gibraltar.

The self-governing British overseas territory already serves as the headquarters for the majority of the London-based firm’s online operations with William Hill stating that the move is part of the ongoing integration of its William Hill Online business.

William Hill Online was created in December through the combination of William Hill’s existing interactive business with assets acquired from Playtech Limited. The move will see its sportsbook and games businesses operate under a Gibraltar licence.

William Hill stated that Gibraltar is a leading centre for online betting and gaming companies and offers access to skilled employees, an established regulatory environment and a competitive tax regime.

Approximately 75 employees will relocate from William Hill’s UK operations to join William Hill Online in Gibraltar, which means that the subsidiary will benefit from cost savings that have already been achieved by other offshore operators.

William Hill announced that it ‘continues to have a substantial presence in the UK and Ireland including 2,300 licensed betting offices and around 16,000 employees’ and paid almost £300 million in UK taxes and levies in last year.

“We are ambitious for William Hill Online to be a successful online betting and gaming business on the international stage,” said Ralph Topping, Chief Executive Officer for William Hill.

“Having acquired European-focused websites, global marketing and multi-lingual customer services capabilities, this is the logical next step in our development of this business. William Hill Online has an increasingly international customer base and this move will ensure we are well positioned to compete on an international stage.”