William Hill says new lockdown will hit profit. William Hill has warned that closing 100 shops for four weeks due to further local lockdowns would decrease core earnings by around £2m. Presently, approximately 10% of its retail estate is located in regions where the local Covid-19 alert level is classified as “very high.”
Despite this, as the return of live sport intensified and its retail property reopened, the group, which operated 1414 shops in the UK in the 13 week period to September 29, said it had shown good results. The company, which has 1,300 employees in Leeds, said it enjoyed continued good performance with double-digit gaming growth in its international online market, partly offset by unfavourable sports results.
Ulrik Bengtsson, CEO of William Hill, said “We are very pleased with the trading performance of the group, which has been borne out of the commitment, resilience and hard work of our teams across the business. I could not be prouder of them.
“We have moved the company forward with our relentless focus on our customers, enhancing the competitiveness of our product, and maintaining player safety as one of our highest priorities. We have reinvigorated the leadership team and they, in turn, have empowered their teams to deliver on our plans.”
