SPORTS BETTING
UK – BoyleSports confirms interest in William Hill’s non-US business
By Phil - 21 June 2021
BoyleSports, Ireland’s largest independent bookmaker, has confirmed it is interested in acquiring some or all of William Hill’s land-based betting shops in the UK with William Hill’s new owner Caesars looking to sell its non-US operations.
The Irish bookie has already bought William Hill’s chain of 33 shops in Northern Ireland and two shops in the Isle of Man. That deal, back in January 2020 brought its total number of shops in Northern Ireland to 39, its number of shops on the island of Ireland to 298 and its total retail footprint across Ireland and the UK to 317 shops.
A BoyleSports spokesperson said: “The sale of the William Hill estate presents us with a rare opportunity to achieve the retail scale we have been targeting. BoyleSports would certainly be interested in acquiring some or all of William Hill’s UK shops, or indeed any other opportunity that makes sense for our business. We have made no secret of our ambition to be one of the principal operators on the UK high street and believe that our retail and digital offerings represents a best in class, safe, and enjoyable proposition for the betting public.
“We already have 21 shops in the UK which, along with our 45 shops in Northern Ireland and our recently upgraded online betting site, gives us a sizeable foothold in the UK retail and online markets. The sale of the William Hill estate presents us with a rare opportunity to achieve the retail scale we have been targeting.”
Caesars bought William Hill for £2.9bn earlier this year. Caesars but wants to offload William Hill’s non-US assets by the end of the year. Apollo Global Management and 888 Holdings are also expected to be interested in a deal.
