William Hill eyes new Malta office to support international expansion

William Hill has revealed plans to open a new office in Malta to help support the firm’s international expansion.

Hills’ head of communications, Ciaran O’Brien, told EGR the search for a location was ongoing, with the firm on the hunt for a “small office to give us optionality should we need it”.

The operator is also recruiting an “exploratory project team” made up of a variety of legal and compliance roles, who will be tasked with analysing international expansion options.

A William Hill spokesperson told the Times of Malta: “With William Hill’s online customer base overwhelmingly in the UK, Gibraltar will continue to be its key operational hub post-Brexit.

“However, Malta provides an option for international operations should they be required after Brexit.”

Gibraltar recently signed a bilateral agreement with the UK to ensure online gambling operators based on the Rock can continue to provide services freely to the UK market after Brexit comes into force.

Hills did not specify which international markets could be targeted from the new office, although group CEO Philip Bowcock said earlier this year the hiring of Ulrik Bengtsson could signal more of focus on grey markets, including Germany, the Nordics and Eastern Europe.

It is the latest operator putting down roots in Malta ahead of Brexit, with bet365 also recently expanding its operations on the island.