Latest Poll
About William Hill:
William Hill is now the second largest bookmaker in the UK. Originally founded in 1903 by a chap named... William Hill, his company has gone from strength to strength over the years. After his retirement in 1970, Hill unfortunately passed away the following year when the bookmakers became a part of the Sears Holdings Group. Grand Metropolitan, owners of Mecca Bookmakers, then acquired William Hill in 1988, the same year the company sponsored a Yeti Hunt to Tibet offering odds of 500/1 that substantial evidence of the creatures existence would be found. While some evidence was found, it was not conclusive enough to convince the Natural History Museum and as a result, any bets were lost. In 1997. Ownership changed hands again when it was bought by Nomura for £700 million and then again in 1999 when it sold for a reported £825 million to Citiven and CVC Partners. William Hill were famously the first company to introduce completely tax and deduction free betting and since then its future has remained stable with its reputation growing ever stronger.
With such a deep rooted past in the gambling area and a fine heritage, it is little wonder there is such a variety of choice offered on the company's official website. The initial feelings when you enter the site is that this is a very traditional bookmaker that prefers to be mostly gimmick free and just wants to get down to the serious matter of betting. You are initially presented with an advert making visitors aware of the services on offer through the channel. Sports, Vegas, Poker and Virtual Racers are just some of the options available and each is advertised with an enticer to inform you of a few of the benefits available. In order to access the site proper, you need to select your particular area of interest so as not to visit an area that won't interest you.
Betting
The main Sports page details all of the options available including Live betting, Live Streaming, Radio, Mobile/Telephone Betting and Promotions. In the very centre of the page are the highlights that are occurring on the day of your visit. The Live In-Play section has information on all of the sporting events that are happening live at the time of your visit and the subsequent odds that are available, dependant upon what is happening in the event at that time. For example, if there is a football match on at the time, the score gets updated regularly, as does the real time clock that informs you of how long has elapsed in your event. You can even listen to radio coverage of your event if it is not being streamed live through the website itself.
Of course, as with any well run gambling site, there are a variety of promotions available which vary depending on what area interests you the most. One such promotions is that when you spend £20 on a single market for a chosen footy match, you will get a £10 free bet to use on another sporting event, such as a selected NFL game. On the subject of footy matches, William Hill offer a wealth of markets for specific matches. In fact it is some of the most in-depth we have seen. Total amount of cards, total corners, and different happenings for different times of the match are all available markets, some of which rival sites do not offer. In addition there is a massive range of other sporting markets to bet on, although the range is not as big as the ones offered by some other competitors. Nevertheless, some of your more obscure betting needs are catered for with Curling and Water Polo all events that you can place money on. Strangely, included within the Sporting area of the site is the television and entertainment markets where you can bet on most popular events, like the winners of awards shows, from the Oscars to the BAFTAs.
Virtual Sports is another area which can be betted on and here you have the opportunity to gamble a stake on the winner of a virtual greyhound or horse race. The races commence at regular set times meaning you can participate around the clock 24/7, regardless of the event cancelling weather outside. We get the feeling that this may just have been a popular option over the last few weeks! If sports isn't really to your liking then William Hill also offer the usual suspects when it comes to other gambling arenas, one such example is the Casino experience offered by the company. You can download a virtual casino straight to your desktop for quick and easy access to the service where you will be able to participate in various games such as Blackjack and Roulette. In all there are 150 games to choose from, some of which spill over into the Vegas section of the site. There are a variety of promotions on offer here too with a £50 free bet being awarded to those who recommend a friend. The only downside to this is the fact that you have to deposit a minimum of £50 and wager at least £100 before qualification is earned. This indicates it is mainly aimed at the hardcore gamblers, rather than the casual audience. This view is emphasised by the size of the winning jackpots, some of which reach the hundreds of thousands. You can however try before you buy essentially, by opening a fun account where you can practice with a virtual kitty. William Hill also offer Poker and Bingo games if this is your preferred area of interest.
We haven't even begun to mention the fact that William Hill also offer participation on worldwide lotteries and a Live Casino where you can watch a dealer doing their stuff as it happens on games such as Baccarat and Roulette. The range of options is very impressive indeed from William Hill. The site is not particularly newb friendly however with the a very traditional and experience-necessary feel evident with the high deposits and stakes necessary. The sporting range is enticing with markets that some sites do not have available and this offers something new to established punters. In general though, this can be seen as a healthy option for gamblers who know what it is they are doing and maybe one to revisit once you have gained some experience in the gambling sector.
Tick Box:
Safe: Yes
Demos: Yes
24/7 support:
No Live chat: Yes
Download required: Yes (Casino and Poker)
Promotions: Yes
Live-Betting: Yes
Mobile Betting: Yes
Disclaimer: All deals and promotions listed were correct at the time of this review, and are subject to change. For current promotions, please visit the website as listed above. Please feel free to use the comments section to post details of current promotions including, where applicable, valid dates.