World Cup boost for William Hill

bookmaker William Hill said it expected operating profit this year to come in at the top end of market forecasts, after the World Cup helped boost its third-quarter results.

The figures are a fillip for new chief executive James Henderson, who took the top job in August after almost three decades with the company.

Net revenue rose 23 per cent in the 13 weeks to the end of September and operating profit jumped 89 per cent, the bookmaker said in a trading statement.

“The group performed strongly in the third quarter, driven by both favourable sporting results and the continued development of our UK and international businesses,” Mr Henderson said in a statement.

“Positive sporting results in the quarter, including a strong end to the World Cup, have moved us close to or ahead of normalised gross win margins on a year-to-date basis,” he said.

William Hill is a major employer in Yorkshire with 3,000 staff, including 1,300 in Leeds. The city is home to William Hill’s retail, trading and IT operations.