‘Strategic decision’
William Hill has decided to wind down three of its online casino brands as part of a “strategic decision” to concentrate instead on its core brand proposition.
EGR Intel took to Twitter November 25 to share the UK sports betting giant’s decision, which it communicated to its affiliates via email on Wednesday:
In preparation for the permanent closure of EuroGrand, 21Nova, and the William Hill Casino Club on January 24, 2022, the operator will nix the three sites’ marketing material starting Friday. Existing customers, however, can still play and withdraw their funds up until the 2022 closure.
The outfit also instructed its affiliates to cancel all promotional activity with “immediate effect.”
Trimming the fat
EuroGrand and 21Nova both launched in 2006 with the William Hill Casino Club rolling out in 2009. In Wednesday’s email, the global online gambling firm assured affiliates it had “no plans to streamline [its] portfolio further.” William Hill added that it remained committed to its eponymously named brand and to Mr Green, which holds gaming and casino licenses in Europe and a sportsbook license in Ireland.
part of an internal review of its “brands and business footprint”
A spokesman for William Hill said the move came as part of an internal review of its “brands and business footprint.”
The decision is the latest in a line of strategic fat trimming exercises kickstarted when Caesars Entertainment announced its ￡2.9bn ($4bn) takeover bid for William Hill last year. After shareholders voted in favor of the Caesars takeover in November 2020 — and following approval by High Court of Justice judges in England and Wales — Caesars’ acquisition of William Hill was finally concluded in April of this year.
US sports betting the focus
Caesars, however, made it clear from the get-go it wasn’t interested in William Hill’s 1,400 retail sportsbooks scattered across Europe.
Enter 888 Holdings in September 2021, which agreed to buy William Hill’s non-US business assets from Caesars for around ￡2.2bn ($3.04bn). 888’s CEO Itai Pazner hailed the move as transformative for his firm.
Caesars’ core aim of expanding its US sportsbooks was underscored in August, when it unveiled its total rebrand of William Hill’s US sportsbook. The new-look wagering offering, named Caesars Sportsbook, now has a footprint in 12 US states.