William Hill to Open a Satellite Office in Malta

British-based sportsbetting giant, William Hill, recently announced that it will be launching a satellite office in Malta. The move, which follows that of its rival Bet365, marks the betting firm’s attempts to offset any negative outcomes of the UK’s exit from the European Union.

According to a report that was published in the Times of Malta newspaper in early June, the renowned bookmaker disclosed that the majority of its online revenue is currently sourced from the United Kingdom and that its Gibraltar-based offices will continue to be responsible for handling this business.

However, it also revealed that it had formed an ‘exploratory project team’ that consisted of a team of specialists spanning a range of roles, including compliance, regulatory, and legal, with the intention of establishing a small office in Malta that was tasked with serving non-UK customers. Rumors have it that William Hill, which is listed on the UK stock exchange, may tap into this operation as a means of processing its international business if the UK’s exit from the EU, which is due to come into force in March 2019, shows signs of undermining its bottom line.

Speaking to the Times of Malta, Ulrik Bengtsson, the new Chief Digital Office for William Hill, disclosed: “We are setting up a Malta office and a small initial organization for our international-facing business post-‘Brexit’.”

The Times of Malta also claimed that Bengtsson’s recent appointment to William Hill from the Malta-based operations of a rival firm, Betsson AB, reflected William Hill’s strategy to increase its presence outside the UK in markets such as Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. However, Bengtsson was quick to confirm that “All current locations are unaffected by the new operation.”

According to the article that was published in the Times of Malta, William Hill, which has been in business since 1934, currently operates in nine nations and employs around 16,000 people. In addition to having a strong presence in the UK and Australian markets, it has operations in the United States (Nevada and Delaware) and runs websites in both Spain and Italy.