Regular online bettors certainly know the name William Hill. This United Kingdom-based bookmaker has technically been in the business since 1934 when gambling was still yet to be legalized, but the operation started with a simple postal and telephone betting service.
Jump ahead 64 years and the company enters the world of online gambling with the launch of its website and sportsbook in 1998 that not only catered to players from the UK but also escalated the brand to global status.
William Hill is currently licensed in five of the foremost gambling markets in the world with Las Vegas, Nevada (U.S.), Madrid (Spain), Milan (Italy), and Sydney and Darwin (Australia), in addition to the UK and Ireland. In the United Kingdom alone, the company employs 14,000 but also has a prominent presence and additional employees on their payroll in Gibraltar, Manila, Sofia (Bulgaria), and Tel Aviv.
With over two million active customers and service provided in 21 different languages, this gambling site is committed to remaining one of the top players in the business. They’re licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and the Gibraltar Gambling Commission.
The online sports betting market in the UK alone is closing in on the billion pound mark and there are definitely competitors vying for those bets.
The United Kingdom offers a good player pool for online bookmakers as legalized sports betting has been around for decades. Betting shops were legalized in 1961 (even though William Hill has been in business since 1934), and the acceptance of football pools at these shops was approved back in 1994.
Bettors in the UK have an easier time securing a place to bet and financing those bets due to the nationwide acceptance across the board. The sportsbook has a significant online presence but also owns and operates over 2,300 betting shops across the country. It’s a household name with years of experience backing it which is evident when you look at the extent of their betting opportunities.
WilliamHill.com provides a comprehensive website that definitely appeals to the experienced bettor and can almost be a bit overwhelming to the novice. The racebook and sportsbook are substantial in size, but still only comprise a part of the entire online betting experience as the site also hosts a Casino, Live Casino, Bingo, and Poker Room.
The sportsbook caters directly to its dedicated UK clientele but certainly doesn’t stop there. Single bets, accumulators, propositions, teasers, parlays, they all just scratch the surface of wagering options from which players can select. As one of the premiere names in sports betting, William Hill makes sure it covers its markets as well as provide an extensive line-up of events with football, rugby, hockey, golf, tennis, cricket, American sports, and other matches from around the world.
The company reports that it offers more than a million betting opportunities both in-play and pre-match, each and every week.
The site is divided into main categories:
In addition to the horse and greyhound racing, sports in any way shape or form is definitely the bettor’s choice, and Live In-play betting takes it to the next level. William Hill hosts live streaming and in-play betting from hundreds of different markets. There are convenient schedules and a dedicated in-play area for players who appreciate this type of live interaction.
As far as the rest of the website, the homepage really is an all-encompassing landing page with tips and tools to satisfy visitors regardless of their game of choice. Yes, it can be overwhelming to take notice of all of the different areas featuring tools, tips, and thousands of lines for bettors to review, but it’s easy to navigate and easy to understand.
The Bet Slip and Bet Calculator are prominently placed easy access. A player who wants to place a quick stake can come and go in an instant. But, for those who want to peruse the offerings and gather as much information as possible, there is a Tip Advisor, a comprehensive blog page, and all kinds of “How To” go-to’s.
Registration is a fairly quick and easy process, as is funding a player account. As a worldwide bookmaker, William Hill needs to accommodate a huge variety of banking needs and does a great job with its extensive line-up of more than 40 different options. UK bettors can select from the entire menu but are well furnished with the more popular selections of credit and debit cards, e-wallet solutions, virtual credit cards, and even the William Hill Cash Direct method that can be funded in person at any of the William Hill storefronts across the country. This is as close to betting with cash as you can get with an online provider.
You might need to search a bit for Customer Services, but there is a small link at the bottom of the homepage and a representative is available 24/7 via phone, email or live chat. The agents can assist with establishing accounts, deposits, withdrawals, or even questions about the betting process itself.
William Hill distinguishes itself first and foremost by its long-standing reputation in the gambling community. It carries with it a history and expertise in sports betting that is appealing, especially to the high stakes gamblers. The branding, alone, exemplifies prestige and knowledge in the industry.
We especially like the comprehensiveness of the sportsbook. The offerings are thorough and, although definitely targeting their UK clients first and foremost, still provide a good representation of global sports and the ways to bet on them. UK punters do love their football as well as cricket, hockey, tennis, golf, and rugby, but they also follow football globally and enjoy getting in on the action of American sports.
As far as the website itself, the most important features are front and center with the bet slip, live-play area, current promotions, and links to all available sports right on the homepage. It may almost seem like a bit too much, but spend a few minutes perusing it and you’ll find it to be helpful and convenient.
We also really like their live, in-play betting area. For a bookmaker that comes from a traditional sports betting background, William Hill really takes in-play betting to the next level. The markets, events, and sports information are updated in real time and bettors can enjoy live streaming as well as other tips and tools specifically for in-play wagering. It’s engaging and exciting for those who enjoy this type of action, and William Hill really does a great job for them.
High marks as well in regard to the high payout limits. Although a player can stake as little as 1p for a single bet, the high rollers want to see an opportunity for big money changing hands, and this is an area where William Hill really excels.
Football payouts of £2 million on English and Scottish football put William Hill in the top two of big payout sportsbooks. £500,000 on golf and £250,000 on Rugby League, Rugby Union, and American Sports also contribute to taking William Hill to the top of the rankings.
William Hill players are also treated to some of the best odds with different daily “enhanced odds” opportunities posted. Players can also cash in their bet if they feel things aren’t going well in their favor. The open bets area will display a cash value for their current ticket. Other promotions like the Acca Five Insurance and the Offer Club add to the fun and potential outcome for players regardless of what they’ve staked.
You don’t get to stay in business for 80 plus years and consistently remain one of the highest regarded bookmakers without giving the people what they want.
There is no perfect business and always room for improvement, but we’d be hard-pressed to come up with a really big issue in regard to William Hill’s online sportsbook. It covers a huge number of sports and betting lines, provides tips and tools of the trade for its users, has an extensive list of options for financial transactions, high payouts, good competitive odds, and low betting minimums.
So, if we have to get nitpicky, let’s talk about bonuses and, in particular, the sportsbook welcome bonus. We haven’t gone in detail yet so, basically, place the first bet of £10 or more and then your player account is credited with two free bets of £10 each. The first bet must have single/cumulative odds greater than 1/2 on the selection. And, you might be thinking “hmm, that’s not too bad. If I place a £100 bet, I’ll receive two £100 free bets.” But, that’s not how the promotion reads. It says that the free bets are a flat £10 each.
We are definitely getting finicky here because William Hill also offers other promotional opportunities to its players allowing them to rack up other free bets or request refunds on losses, but there are some players who really gravitate to a generous welcome bonus so this particular one may dissuade them from joining.
One other area that we do want to mention, and we will get into this more in depth shortly, is the Customer Services department. No, we have not seen major complaints regarding non-response or not providing appropriate answers, but we have seen many concerns from William Hill’s dedicated clientele regarding the level of the service itself. Players have reported that agents haven’t been as polite or service-oriented as they would have liked but, as always, this will be dependent upon the specific person providing the assistance and experiences will vary accordingly.
Williamhill.com is driven by the sports that are most appealing to its UK player base, namely football (soccer) in the number one spot. Soccer is covered from all parts of the globe and lines for over 60,000 annual matches are offered from this sportsbook alone. Pre-game podcasts, previews, news highlights, and some of the best odds around provide the best accommodations for fans and discriminating bettors.
Also, securing the top ranking spots on Williamhill.com are tennis, cricket, and the virtual world, believe it or not. Virtual gaming, unlike e-sports events, does not have any human element. These games are just as they sound, virtual, but monitored and secured for fair gaming practices. Offering virtual game betting allows for 24/7 non-stop wagering primarily on football, horse racing, motorsports, and tennis.
Despite the overwhelming affinity for football, UK bettors simply enjoy sports in general and appreciate the opportunities to wager on them. They follow football from all areas of the globe as well as golf, tennis, rugby, cricket, MMA and UFC fighting, boxing, motor racing, hockey, and American sports including American Football (NFL).
The lines offered are some of the most competitive around and, if you look at comparisons to other providers, you’ll see they hold their own the majority of the time especially in regard to favorites.
The entire main page line-up of the regular sports betting opportunities includes:
Many of these sports can be wagered on competitor sites but what really makes William Hill shine, in addition to its comprehensive football section, is its Live In-Play Betting area. At any given time, there could be anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of markets on dozens or more events available for in-play action. Although William Hill is known for its reputation and more traditional-type sportsbook offerings, it comes out ahead for its progressive in-play wagering.
So, football is THE game for UK punters and William Hill accommodates their need to wager in pretty much every way imaginable. As football is so prevalent, we wanted to discuss a few of the ways in which players can bet.
Over/Under = in reference to the total number of goals in a game; bet can be on over, under or exactly
Scorecast = final score of the game plus the player who will score the first goal in the game
Both Teams to Score = a prediction on whether or not both teams will score at least one goal
Correct Score = the final score outcome
Half Time-Full Time = a double result on the half time score and the final outcome score
1 X 2 = 1 is a home win, X is a tie, 2 is an away win
Double Chance = two out of three possible outcomes with one bet based on 1 X 2; 1 or X if home team wins or draws; 1 or 2 if either team wins; 2 or X if away team wins or draws
These just scratch the surface in regard to all of the types of bets that can be placed. Live betting opens up an entirely new set of choices:
Next Goal = which team will score the next goal
Next Corner = which team will take the next corner kick
Last Goal = which team will score the last goal of the match
Single-game betting starts out at just 1p on William Hill but maximum betting varies per sport and, technically, there aren’t maximum bets. Betting limits are dependent upon the payout maximums for each game, match or tournament.
There are some generous payouts available to William Hill’s registered players. In fact, football betting payout maximums are unsurpassed.
Football, encompassing the EPL, English Championship, League 1, League 2, Scottish Premiership, F A Cup (1st round on), Scottish Cup (2nd round on), England and Scottish League Cups, Top Division in Spain, Competitive Internationals played between two members of UEFA, World Cup Finals, Champions League and Europa League (both group stage on) have a £2,000,000 cap on the League or Cup Win. That’s two million!
For bets on over/under goals, double result, match handicaps, correct score, 1st/last/anytime goalscorers, Wincast, and Scorecast, the payout tops out at £500,000.
The Tennis Grand Slam Main Draw (Men’s and Women’s Singles) as well as darts, snooker, rugby league, rugby union, boxing, cricket, NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and Formula 1, all have a maximum of £250,000 to win the tournament and match, race, bout, etc…
Even virtual racing and sports have a high payout potential of £250,000.
We have already mentioned the Williamhill.com website a few times throughout this review and, in particular, made note of the abundance of information that’s provided just on the sportsbook homepage alone.
A quick glance may provoke an overwhelming feeling as it is packed with a lot of information. And, we do mean a LOT. But give it a few minutes, settle in, and you’ll see that it’s actually quite user-friendly and handy to have all of the tips, how-tos and other information readily available.
Links to anywhere you’d want to go are prominently displayed and the all-important betting slip is right up front accompanied by a calculator that will provide you with a payout depending upon the bet and amount you’re interested in staking.
The help center is also set up conveniently with answers to the most frequently asked questions and links to obtain more detailed information if and when needed.
The betting platform itself is from Open Bet, originally named Orbis Technology, which was founded in 1996. It’s state of the art and allows for an interactive and quality interface that bettors find convenient and easy to use.
The one big difference you’ll note in regard to this website is that it’s a lot more than just stats. It’s an all-encompassing platform for sports lovers regardless of the game of choice. Users can take advantage of betting tips or listen to podcasts from experts in the field. There are blogs, articles, and all kinds of information covering the gamut and not only will bettors find them helpful, but enjoyable too.
We’re back to the bonus. The bonus program is the one thing that bettors either really like or really dislike, regardless of the bookmaker or casino. They either totally disregard it or want to take advantage of every opportunity to rack up some bonus free play or bets.
William Hill is known for offering many things within its sportsbook, but bonuses are not one of them. There is a welcome bonus, but not technically a match play bonus. Their currently posted welcome bonus states that if a new player wagers at least a £10 bet at 1/2 odds or greater, they will receive two £10 free bets in their player account that they can utilize but are subject to minimum wagering requirements.
The minimum odds requirement is pretty standard across the board, but many of William Hill’s competitors offer a much higher match to the initial bet. There are some that offer five, ten, even 15 times the wager amount in free bets.
There are some other bonus programs that players may find appealing though.
Offer Club – In one week, stake £20 or more on four or more selections of football and get a £5 free bet
Acca Five Insurance – This is applicable on accumulators with five or more picks priced at 1/5 or higher and states that if one of the picks is a loss, the stake can be refunded as a free bet. This does not apply to live in-play betting, though.
Cash in your Bet – So let’s say the game isn’t going quite as you expected and you are not confident in your selection, William Hill will give you a chance to cash in that betting ticket before the outcome. Navigate over to the open bets area to see what cash value is being offered and then decide if you want to call it a day. This is good on football, baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, darts, golf, snooker, rugby union, and tennis and does include live in-play events as well.
Some of these offers are fairly equivalent to some of the other top sportsbooks, but other industry leaders do put together a huge package of ongoing bonuses and promotional programs. William Hill relies less on the bonus programs and more on their expertise, their menu, their lines, and all of the little extras that they provide to make williamhill.com a one-stop shop.
Funding a player’s account is a fairly easy process for UK-based players as there are a number of options that should fit the bill for most everyone. The modes of deposit match the withdrawal options to simplify things even further.
Some of the most utilized methods of deposit include the following and William Hill does not tack on extra fees for funding the player account.
Credit and Debit Cards – Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Maestro Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £5 Maximum Deposit – £99,000 Funds available – immediately
William Hill Cash Direct Easy method for – the UK Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £5,000 Funds available – immediately
PayPal Easy method for – the UK, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Sweden Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £5,500 Funds available – immediately
Skrill Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £80,000 Funds available – immediately
Neteller Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £30,000 Funds available – immediately
Paysafecard Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £250 Funds available – immediately
Entropay Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £99,000 Funds available – immediately
Pingit Easy method for – the UK Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £1500 Funds available – immediately
Ecowallet Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £10 Maximum Deposit – £8400 Funds available – immediately
Bank Transfer Easy method for – all players Minimum Deposit – £25 Maximum Deposit – £100,000 Funds available – 3-5 days
Bank Cheque Easy method for – the UK Minimum Deposit – £25 Maximum Deposit – £100,000 Funds available – within 10 days
William Hill Cash Direct is, obviously, site-specific but allows its online players to easily fund their account as well as cash out with a method as close to cash as possible. Vouchers can be purchased from store locations across the country and are then input online for instant funding.
Customers can use the same withdrawal method that they used for making the deposit into their player account. In most cases, it’s a quick and easy process to facilitate. However, if for any reason, the cashout process doesn’t work, a bank transfer is then initiated.
The minimum withdrawal amount for the majority of methods is just £5 and William Hill does not add any fees on top of the what the banks or financial institutions may charge.
Credit and Debit Cards – Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Maestro Maximum Withdrawal – Credit Cards – £99,000 Maximum Withdrawal – Debit Cards – £60,000 Funds available – 3-5 business days
William Hill Cash Direct Maximum Withdrawal – £5,000 Funds available – instantly
PayPal Maximum Withdrawal – £5,500 Funds available – one business day
Skrill Maximum Withdrawal – £80,000 Funds available – one business day
Neteller Maximum Withdrawal – £30,000 Funds available – one business day
Paysafecard Maximum Withdrawal – £250 Funds available – 5-10 business days via bank transfer or cheque
Entropay Maximum Withdrawal – £99,000 Funds available – 3-5 business days
Pingit Maximum Withdrawal – £1500 Funds available – one business day
Ecowallet Maximum Withdrawal – £8400 Funds available – one business day
Bank Transfer Maximum Deposit – £100,000 Funds available – 5-10 business days
Bank Cheque Maximum Withdrawal – £100,000 Funds available – 5-10 business days
As a 24/7 bookmaker, it’s imperative to provide bettors with assistance whenever its needed. William Hill does offer their round the clock Customer Services Department accessible via three methods:
Live Chat Email – customerservices@williamhill.com Phone for UK players – 0800 085 6296 Phone for players outside of the UK – +800 3551 3551
As Customer Services is always up to interpretation and dependent upon the individual representative providing the assistance, it’s a gray area and difficult to give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. In regards to William Hill’s service, though, there has been some consistent feedback from people who have had direct experience with the department for whatever reason.
On one hand, a response is prompt and having a Live Chat representative available does alleviate some of the turnarounds and wait times experienced through the use of email correspondence. There really aren’t reported issues in regard to non-response or major delays. Additionally, and probably most importantly, the representative was knowledgeable and able to answer questions or secure a solution when needed.
The criticisms come from the perceived politeness of the agents themselves and some language barrier issues that were experienced. Players want to feel valued and were frustrated by the seemingly discourteous responses they were receiving.
Let us play devil’s advocate here for a minute, though. This is a global brand which employs Customer Services staff from several locations. Additionally, its players have different backgrounds, language requirements, and customs. What is sometimes perceived as rude to one would be customary to someone in another part of the world. We do absolutely agree that customer services is important and should be superior regardless of the industry but do appreciate the availability, timeliness of the response, and ability to immediately address players’ questions and concerns.
William Hill offers much more than online sports betting. A casino, live casino, scratch cards, bingo, and poker room provide something for everyone and are easily accessible from anywhere within the website, but horse racing is on par with sports betting and warrants its own dedicated and prominently placed area.
A link to the horse racing area is right at the top of the sportsbook menu as horse racing is big.
William Hill promotes every day betting on all races in the UK and Ireland plus selections from Australia, Dubai, France, South Africa, and the United States. “Best Odds Guaranteed” applies to British and Irish races providing a huge benefit for punters.
Bets include distances, tote betting for jackpots, placepots and scoop 6, and posted information not only includes results, but jockey, trainer, and detailed information on favorite horses. Similar to the sportsbook, the racebook also hosts podcasts, interviews, tips, and in-play radio.
A £1 bet on a race in the UK or Ireland also provides access to viewing the race on William Hill TV.
The casino area may take the second stage to sports and race betting but is impressive enough to appeal to even the most discriminating players.
The casino is filled with 200 varieties of fun themed slots like Spider-man, The Flintstones, and Space Invaders. The Table game area also includes Video Poker including 50-Line play, plus Pick ‘em Poker, Hold ‘em Showdown, Rock Paper Scissors, and Keno. Bingo players have their choices of seven different Bingo rooms. There are 350+ arcade games and scratch tickets plus a Poker Room that’s one of the top ten trafficked online poker rooms in the UK. Poker room players can hop on to a Texas Hold ‘em, Six plus Hold ‘em, 7-card Stud, or Omaha game.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a Live Casino for players who enjoy interacting with real cards on the table. William Hill’s Live Dealer section includes Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker and Roulette in Mayfair, Macau, and Vegas varieties.
The website offerings don’t stop at games, races, or other types of wagering, it’s an all-encompassing information-packed website providing articles, videos, interviews, tips, instructional information, podcasts, and live streaming of races and events.
We’ve said that William Hill strives to be a one-stop shop for sports betting but, in actuality, it has created an entire online casino experience and resource for bettors across the board.
If you do some research in regard to online sportsbooks in the UK, it’s not surprising that William Hill tends to be consistently ranked as one of the top three bookmakers. Their sportsbook has had over 80 years to evolve into what it is today. The games, the lines, the live betting, the reference materials, put them all together and it’s a formula for success that’s tough to beat.
That’s not to say that there aren’t other really great bookmakers out there because there are several, and they seem to consistently be at the top of the tote boards as well.
Ladbrokes and Coral are two of the other prominent UK bookmakers and also have betting shops throughout the country. They both have reputable, established sportsbooks with a big game selection and comparable odds.
Ladbrokes offers a £50 free bet welcome bonus and is go-to for Asian Handicap Football wagering. Coral’s welcome bonus comes with only a minimum £5 bet in order to receive £20 in free bets. They do have an impressive sportsbook, but the website is a bit unimpressive in comparison to Ladbrokes and William Hill. Both Ladbrokes and Coral have a high maximum payout of £1 million for top level football, not the £2 million that William Hill offers but still quite competitive.
When comparing this bookmaker to others, our information wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Bet365, designated as Britain’s number one online sportsbook. Bet365 is in direct competition with WH for top overall rankings as included in the majority of reviews and websites dedicated to online gaming.
They essentially are tied when looking at the overall picture, but Bet365 has more live streaming events whereas WH has coverage of all major events but covers them through radio, podcasts, or live commentary at times as opposed to always through the actual live video feed.
Both are comparable to each other with better odds on favorites and WH has a slight edge in the number of football markets offered on any given game. Players tend to lean slightly toward Bet365 for mobile play, though, as they feel it’s a bit more convenient to navigate.
It’s a bit unique to be able to talk about an online sportsbook and refer to them as having over 80 years of experience, but that is essentially accurate in regard to William Hill. Of course, they have just under two decades of online presence, but that’s still significant in comparison to some other online gaming sites and WH still carries forth the tradition and expertise they’ve earned since offering the first postal and phone betting service back in 1934.
Since the launch of williamhill.com, the bookmaker continued to grow and expand into new markets and new online presence. Their online casino entered the scene in 2001, just three years after their sportsbook and, in 2012, they became the first European gaming operator to be awarded a full gaming license in Nevada (U.S.) by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Joining the ranks of Madrid, Milan, Ireland, Sydney, Darwin, Gibraltar, Manila, Sofia, and Tel Aviv, Las Vegans, as well as players throughout Nevada, are now able to have the William Hill experience through 108 Nevada sportsbook locations and an entire mobile sportsbook on williamhill.us.
William Hill is well respected for its extensive menu of sporting events and corresponding markets available for each. Its odds are competitive, especially on favorites, and both the williamhill.com website and the mobile platform provide upscale and information-packed platforms for bettors of all experience levels.
In 2014, the WH sportsbook app passed the two-million mark for downloads.
Recently, the bookmaker promoted a new twitter hashtag #YourOdds that allow bettors to tweet #yourodds to @williamhill and ask for a bet. Then, whenever possible, WH’s traders will price it up and add it into the #yourodds section within the event listing providing more evidence to the fact that the sportsbook continues to keep up with the times as well as consistently offer its own innovations.
