In October 2008 William Hill PLC entered into an online gaming licence agreement with Playtech Ltd. Now this agreement is being blamed for the likely loss of jobs in the company’s customer service and e-commerce department at sites in Sheffield and Leeds. Playtech, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, is to run the departments and some jobs are expected to go abroad.

The Irish Times reports that William Hill is to close 14 bookmaking shops in the Republic next month. The places affected are in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Wexford and Waterford. The economic downturn and the proposal to double betting turnover tax to 2% from May are said to have caused the cutbacks. A major revenue source at British bookmaking shops, the fixed- odds betting terminals (FOBTs), are illegal in Ireland.

William Hill bought 51 betting outlets in Ireland from Stanley Leisure in 2004, which will now be reduced to 37 with the loss of over 50 jobs. The betting shops will remain open throughout most of March while negotiations continue with the unions. High street bookmakers throughout Ireland are reporting a fall in turnover as customers reduce the level and frequency of their betting.
(E-02.10.09)

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