William Hill invests in horse racing

William Hill has signed exclusive deals with Jockey Club Racing (JCR), Go Racing Yorkshire and various independents to expand its on-course betting portfolio.

The bookmaker had been operating on-course betting at seven racecourses in the UK, but has now added a further 34 venues through the new agreements. In total, William Hill will have an on-course presence at 41 of all 60 racecourses across the UK.

Steven White, divisional director retail at William Hill, said in a statement released to iGamingBusiness.com that despite the growth of online and mobile gaming in recent years, retail will remain a key part of the company’s business moving forward.

“Our founder William Hill initially started betting on-course in 1922 and the company has had a racecourse presence all over the UK for over 90 years,” White said.

“Horse racing remains an important part of our business and as a company we believe that with the ever-changing landscape of retail betting, it is important that we embrace this opportunity by investing in horse racing.”

The deal with JCR establishes the firm as the exclusive betting shop provider at Jockey Club courses, replacing Betfred in the role.

The exclusive designation will apply to all 15 of the Jockey Club’s venues with the exception of Cheltenham where Hills will run at least six facilities alongside the existing Star Sports and The Winning Post shops.

The UK-facing deals come after a recent major breakthrough for William Hill in the US.

William Hill last month began taking bets at Monmouth Park in New Jersey after the state passed legislation allowing consumers in the stake to place legal sports bets.

The bookmaker entered a partnership with Monmouth Park five years ago in anticipation of the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which finally came in May through a Supreme Court ruling.