William Hill Near Me

William Hill Shop Locator

William Hill is one of the largest betting brands in the UK, with a long and very proud history.

While seen as quite a traditional betting company compared to a lot of the new UK operators that have launched in the market of late, William Hill runs both betting shops and a great online site.

Even though betting through the internet has gotten a lot more popular in recent times, many sports fans in the UK still prefer to head to William Hill betting shops in order to place their bets.

William Hill's UK betting shops can be a good place to watch the latest sporting action as they usually have screens showing horse racing meetings from up and down the country as well.

There are pros and cons to using betting shops compared to William Hill's online site, though a lot of people will still prefer to go into a store in person to place bets and collect their winnings.

Here, we have a guide to everything that users need to know about William Hill's betting shops.

Introduction to William Hill Betting Shops

William Hill runs a massive number of betting shops in the UK, with data indicating it has more stores up and down the country than any other betting brand, including the likes of Coral.

According to a study by research firm Statista that came out a couple of years ago, William Hill has consistently had more than 2,000 open betting shops in the UK over the last decade or so. To put that massive figure into some context, Ladbrokes was shown to have just under 2,000 open betting shops while Betfred, another common high street brand, had about 1,500 or so.

It is fair to say that the last two years have been tough for the betting industry, however, with older brands such as William Hill increasingly pivoting towards their online sites as a result.

The coronavirus crisis in the UK led to betting shops having to close their doors due to public safety and the lockdowns, with some William Hill stores not yet having reopened either. It has arguably been the most challenging period for William Hill since the firm was founded in 1934.

Nevertheless, William Hill betting shops are a common sight on high streets around the UK. In a large city such as Leeds, for example, there are about half a dozen different William Hill betting shops to pick from, with one even sited in a prime location in the city's main railway station.

William Hill betting shops are usually open from early in the morning until late in the evening, giving people a chance to pop in and place a wager on the sporting action at any time of the day.

However, it goes without saying William Hill betting shops do close their doors at night, which is one of the main differences between people betting at a William Hill shop and William Hill online.

Differences Between Betting at a William Hill Shop and William Hill Online

There are pros and cons to betting at a William Hill shop in person on a UK high street, just as there are advantages as well as some major disadvantages to using an online betting site.

When betting at a William Hill shop, users need to check it is open first and foremost. While most of the betting shops William Hill runs in the UK are open until late into the evening, they might close before people have had a chance to visit and either put a bet on or claim winnings.

While there are more than 2,000 William Hill betting shops in the UK, not everyone will live or work close to one of them either. Travelling to a William Hill betting shop might not be appealing for some sports fans in the UK when they can easily opt to put on a bet through the internet. Most people also now have a smartphone or tablet that they can use to bet through a betting app too.

However, a significant advantage of going to a betting shop run by William Hill is that winning wagers are paid in cash. This is a huge plus point for a lot of people, even in a society that is increasingly trending towards being cashless. When taking out winnings from William Hill online, it can take a few days for the money to appear in a bank account, so cash is preferable for many. On the flip side, those with a lot of winnings to withdraw may prefer the safety of online. There is also often a relatively low limit for the maximum payouts that can be made in shops.

For a lot of people, particularly those who are older and maybe not as comfortable with using the internet, visiting a William Hill betting shop is much better. It can be a social experience for many, giving them a chance to catch up with old friends and they are likely to know staff too if they are regular visitors. With William Hill betting shops showing live sport, it is also a very good place to go to see all of the major horse racing action from around the UK and further afield too.

While William Hill online does have some live streams available for customers to watch, and a free racing radio, it is not the same tuning into the action at home on a small screen. The video walls that a lot of the big William Hill betting shops in the UK have installed is a lot better for watching the top live sport.

A major disadvantage of using William Hill betting shops in the UK is that there are likely to be fewer betting markets to pick from. While it might be possible for a staff member to price up a bet, many sports fans will find it quicker and easier to browse online for the bet that they want. Add in the fact that better betting odds can usually be found online and this is one of the main reasons why going to William Hill betting shops has been slipping out of fashion in recent times.

William Hill online also offers features such as cash out, which lets sports fans in the UK lock in a guaranteed profit. The William Hill betting site and the app have other top tools such as bet builders too, which gives its users a level of flexibility when it comes to choosing the wagers they make.

All in all, there are key differences between betting at a William Hill shop and William Hill online but for most people who are customers of the major UK brand, it is due to personal preference.