William Hill had Mixed Results in 2011

Last year was a tempestuous year for big gambling operator William Hill. Firstly there was the sports gambler from Malta who won an amazing 683,783-to-1 bet, turning his €1 accumulator bet on several football games to a staggering win of €683,783.

William Hill said that this astonishing win together with several other unexpected football results made the fourth quarter of 2011 a great quarter for football punters, which ensured the operator recorded a drop in profit margins from 19% to 17%.

This means that operating profits in 2011 were a bit lower than those in 2010 when William Hill sportsbook enjoyed a boom in betting due to the football World Cup taking place in the summer of 2010.

In addition William Hill managed to show increased revenues in its online casino, bingo and sportsbook while its poker revenues were unstable throughout the year with a 14% increase in the third quarter but showed a significant rate of decline in the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter of 2011 also showed cracks in William Hill Online with staff in its Philippines, Bulgaria and Israel offices walking out in protest due to some internal management dispute that was eventually resolved after nearly two weeks of disruption in operations.

Although William Hill finished 2011 with many question marks hanging above its head, especially ones relating to the stability and future of its William Hill Online joint venture with gaming software giant Playtech, they did start 2012 right with a new commercial partnership with the English Football Association.