Nevada Gives Final Approval to William Hill, Others
The Nevada Gaming Commission has officially granted licenses to William Hill, Bally Technologies and International Game Technology to operate online gambling and, in the case of Hill, sports betting operations within the Silver State.
“This now enables us to establish William Hill's first ever U.S. operation, an important part of our international growth strategy," said Chief Executive Ralph Topping after the announcement was made.
William Hill had come under the most intense scrutiny due to its affiliation with Playtech, an online gambling software company whose owner served prison time nearly 20 years ago after being convicted of fraud. There was some uncertainty as to whether the Commission would ultimately grant Hill a license.
William Hill is expected to complete the acquisition of three Nevada-based sportsbook operations on June 27 for approximately $49m in total. The deal was conditional based on the licensing.
The US Government has not given the green light to allow betting on sports online, however, and still considers such activity a violation of federal law.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
