William Hill Online Betting Company - Essay Example

Over the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of online gaming companies all over the world. It is of significance to posit that this has been made possible by easy access to the internet as people from all corners of the world can easily place their bets. Though gambling is considered illegal in some countries, online gaming is allowed in most of the developed countries. This paper describes the general background of William Hill, an online gaming company.

William Hill gambling company is a company associated with online betting. It is considered one of the largest and one of the most successful companies in the gaming industry. This company was started in the UK by an individual by the name of William Hill as early as 1903. However, betting was not allowed by the government in the United Kingdom at this time hence the reason why the company went through the hands of many individuals. Most activities related to betting were in those days done behind closed doors. Betting services were offered secretly as the country lacked a national regulating institution on betting. Available sources posit that betting was officially permitted in the United Kingdom in 1961. The company has ever since reported high profits (Mistress, 2010). The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. When William Hill, the founder of this betting company passed away in 1971, the company was integrated with Sears Holding Group.

Based on its many years of operations, the company has perfected their online betting services. This is illustrated by Mistress (2010: n.p.) who posits that: With such a deep-rooted past in the gambling area and a fine heritage, it is little wonder there is a variety of choices in the company’s official website. The initial feeling 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.

According to Lomax and Raman (2007), Internet-based betting services in William Hill Company were started in 1998. Currently, the company has over six hundred outlets in many countries in Europe including Ireland. One of the major challenges that faced the company included the incident where it was accused of purchasing betting offices belonging to Stanley Leisure at exaggerated rates in 2005. Following this incident, the company struggled to maintain its niche in the online betting industry. Consequently, it joined hands with Orbis and Playtech, which are internationally renowned companies in a bid to deal with and mitigate its plummeting and collapsing internet-based businesses. The second major hurdle that the company faced was in 1966 when the government introduced taxes on betting proceedings. Initially, the rate was put at 2.5% but was elevated to 6% in 1970. Despite these challenges, the company continues to play a significant role in the international online gaming industry.

It is important to elucidate the fact that William Hill Company does its business mainly within the United Kingdom. This company has offered jobs to more than sixteen thousand people hence giving them a source of livelihood. Its headquarters are located in the United Kingdom. It is one of the widely established online betting companies that offer its betting services both through mobile phones and through local networks. To maintain a competitive advantage in the market and elevate its earnings as well, the company provides other gaming operations particularly bingo, poker, horse racing bets, a variety of other casino games, and other varieties of betting on sports (Mistress, 2010).

In laying down its organizational goals, the company took the consideration of several issues. The management knew the importance of focusing on the right group of clients or customers. In doing so, the company was interested in conventional, dependable, and dedicated individuals (Lomax and Raman, 2007). The online services of the company are designed in a way that lures or focuses on individuals with a stable source of income. Results from methodical studies done in the past focusing on the spending levels of individuals in gambling or betting showed that those with a stable source of income spend more on gambling as compared to the unemployed.

In conclusion, betting is one of the contributors to government revenue in the United Kingdom based on the high taxes that were made compulsory in all betting services and procedures. William Hill Betting Company was started in a period when all gaming activities were done secretly and behind closed doors. This was because betting was not officially permitted. When it was made legal, the company reported high levels of profits ever since. The company has also offered a source of livelihood to many individuals as it has employed more than sixteen thousand individuals. Online betting services in William Hill were started in 1998. There are also other casino games such as bingo provided by the company. Due to its variety of services, William Hill has gained quite a following all over the world.