Jobs at risk as William Hill reviews shops and phone betting
0 Comments | Daily Post; Liverpool (UK), Jul 27, 2010 | by Anonymous
UP TO 350 jobs are under threat at William Hill after the bookmaker announced plans to move its telephone business offshore and review some loss-making betting shops.
William Hill said 150 jobs could be lost across its Sheffield and Leeds call centres – which employ 400 staff between them – as part of a move to establish a new call centre in Gibraltar.
The Leeds centre will close and the Sheffield site will be handed over to Knowsley outsourcing firm Vertex.
William Hill is also reviewing the future of 50 of its 170 unprofitable shops, which it said could put another 200 jobs at risk by the end of the year.
Last week William Hill said it had enjoyed a good half-year, with the World Cup one of the best for bookmakers in 40 years.
Chief executive Ralph Topping yesterday hit out at “unfair pressure” on the business due to competition from offshore operators and betting exchanges like Betfair – allowing punters to act as bookmakers – working under a more favourable tax regime.
Earlier this year Ladbrokes closed its Aintree call centre with the loss of 263 jobs
good bookmakers