With little fanfare, one of the "Big Three" bookmakers in Europe sent a loud and resounding message to the Interactive betting industry.
After its administrative offices had closed for the week, William Hill issued a press release today stating that the company would no longer accept wagers on its sports betting Web site from U.S. customers. The move will take effect on Jan. 31.
 |
"The Wire Act is obviously the catalyst for the decision. That is the piece of legislation that has caused such a controversy and that is the ultimate reason."
-Graham Sharp
|
|
William Hill spokesperson Graham Sharp, contacted Friday evening for additional comment, said there was no particular event that sparked the sudden change of policy. He acknowledged, though, that the unclear legal situation on a federal level made the decision easy to make.
"We decided to reluctantly make the decision," he said. "The Wire Act is obviously the catalyst for the decision. That is the piece of legislation that has caused such a controversy and that is the ultimate reason."
The change will only effect William Hill's online sports book; U.S. players are still welcome to wager with the company's online casino, according to Bill Haygarth, Managing Director of Hill’s Internet businesses. The decision only effects players located inside the U.S.
Haygarth said the decision to pull the plug on U.S. bets now was fueled by what his company sees as a less-than favorable future for the Wire Act being amended to allow for Internet wagering.
"No one likes to turn business away," he said. "We took the view that the legal uncertainty surrounding the issue was unlikely to be resolved in the foreseeable future."
Sharp said the amount of business that will be lost won't effect the company's bottom line a great deal.
|
"No one likes to turn business away."
-Bill Haygarth
|
|
"By no means was [U.S. betting] a major part of our turnover," he said. "Of course it is disappointing not to be able to continue to develop a relationship with such an important potential part of our market. We hope that it will prove, ultimately, not to be a permanent situation."
William Hill was the only "Big Three" bookmaker--Coral and Ladbrokes being the other two--to accept wagers from U.S. bettors.
Players who currently hold accounts with William Hill will be allowed to withdraw money from their accounts after the deadline, but will not be able to place bets or deposit money into the account.