William Hill Casino
Long time William Hill employee and CEO Ralph Topping has warned the Department of Culture, Media and Sport against changing UK online gambling laws.
Topping was speaking to The Times following last month's announcement of plans to reform the licensing system currently operating in the UK. The new plans would see a move toward operators receiving a UK license, regardless of where they operate, thus making the current 'whitelist' system irrelevant.
William Hill is currently based in Gibraltar, where the bookmaker runs an online casino as well as bingo, poker and sports betting products, and Topping claimed that there wasn't "a chance in hell of us coming back from Gibraltar". Gibraltar is currently the most popular home for online gambling operators with bet365, 32Red, Jackpot City and many others all choosing to reside there.
Topping added that the DCMS would be "stepping on a minefield" should it pursue its plans and that he felt that Gibraltar was "the hub for online gambling activity in Europe". These comments have been criticised with many claiming that London is by far the most attractive destination for online gambling companies.
But before dismissing Topping's opinions, it's worth noting that this is a man who first joined William Hill in 1973. Back then he was just a humble shop worker but has since worked his way up as shop manager, human resources manager, regional manager of Scotland, internet director, retail operations director, director and finally CEO. So it's safe to say that he knows what he's talking about!
