William Hill Launches Celtic Partnership
William Hill has collaborated with Celtic FC to become the club’s official in-stadium betting partner. Fans of the Scottish Premiership club will be able to enjoy the famous bookmaker’s services at Celtic Park Stadium for the next two seasons. The bookmaker has also pledged its support to Movember this month, in aid of men’s health.
William Hill is keen to elevate its presence in Scottish football. ©Anna Urlapova/Pexels
Promotions for Celtic Fans
William Hill has announced a new partnership with top-flight Scottish club, Celtic FC. The bookmaker will act as the club’s official in-stadium betting partner for the next two seasons, offering its betting facilities at Celtic Park Stadium. The collaboration is great news for fans, who will benefit from an extra dose of excitement on matchdays.
Hoops fans will be able to take advantage of exclusive offers and promotions courtesy of the historic bookmaker. William Hill UK, which was recently taken over by 888 Holdings, has been an established part of the local community in Glasgow for decades. It recently refurbished its retail shop outside the stadium, affectionately known by fans as Paradise.
Last month, the bookmaker had hoped to forge ahead with plans to launch a digital-focused shop in the city. It had hoped to move its Shawbridge Arcade outlet half a mile up the road to a new premises on Riverford Road, due to the imminent bulldozing of the arcade.
However, the bookmaker’s plans were not received positively by the local council, and the plan seems to have stalled. Shawbridge Arcade has now been fenced off, and William Hill has not confirmed whether an alternative location has been approved. There are around 45 William Hill shops in Glasgow, and over 1,400 in total in the UK.
Commercial Director of Celtic FC, Adrian Filby, commented on the new partnership with William Hill. Describing the sportsbook as an industry leader, he said that the club was pleased to be joining forced to offer supporters an enhanced stadium experience throughout the season. Liam McKee, Director of Media, Sponsorship & UK Creative at William Hill, was equally pleased to unveil the partnership, adding:
“We are delighted to partner up with Celtic at their iconic home and deliver our unrivalled retail betting experience to the Celtic faithful. It promises to be another exciting season at Paradise, and we are thrilled to be along for the journey.”
Top of the Table
Celtic FC is currently leading the table a number of points ahead of historic Glasgow rivals Rangers FC. The Scottish Premiership season began on July 30th and will run until May 28th 2023. As it currently stands, Celtic FC is at the top of the table with 33 points. Rangers FC is ranked in second place, and is not trailing far behind with 29 points. With much of the season left, the competition is all to play for.
William Hill’s latest agreement with Celtic FC marks a return to the Scottish football scene after two years. The bookmaker’s partnership with the Scottish Cup and National Team came to an end on June 30th 2020, after nine years. Now, the bookmaker is keen to boost its visibility in the country once more.
Amongst the reasons for William Hill’s former partnership with Scottish football not being renewed was the ever-increasing criticism of betting promotion in the sport. Gambling sponsorships are amongst the most lucrative for football clubs, but concerns have been raised that high levels of exposure to betting could encourage problem gambling.
The government could soon crack down on these sponsorships, although doubt has been cast on how strong such measures will be if included in the Gambling Act Review white paper. It is likely that if sponsorships are phased out, it will start gradually from the Premier League. For now, clubs and gambling operators are free to continue to team up.
Alongside other prominent Betting and Gaming Council members, William Hill has promised to limit its marketing and sponsorship around football. However, its new deal with Celtic FC does not represent a betting sponsorship. Celtic FC already has a betting sponsorship in place with Dafabet, which has been going since 2016.
Support for Movember
In other news, William Hill has pledged its support to charitable initiative Movember. Every November, the charity campaigns to raise awareness of a variety of men’s health issues, from prostate and testicular cancer, to mental health. According to the charity, men die on average five years younger than women, often for reasons that are preventable.
This month, William Hill has promised to put a spotlight on these issues by sharing resources to encourage learning and sharing information about important funds in place to help men everywhere. It is encouraging men to take part in a meaningful conversation about their emotions, something that could make a real difference.
One of the most popular ways of getting involved with the charity is to grow a moustache over the course of the month. The only rules involved are to start off clean shaven on November 1st and to continue from there. Many people choose to grow the most outlandish moustaches possible and to raise funds for the charity as their whiskers grow.
Another way that people can get involved in Movember is to take on the ’60KM in November’ challenge. Participants can run, walk or sprint in memory of the 60 men that are lost to suicide every hour, across the world. To take part, simply sign up to the challenge and link your fitness tracker to the Movember app.
In October, William Hill launched its global menopause policy during Menopause Awareness Month. The new policy aims to support all of its colleagues that are going through the menopause, perimenopause or male menopause, by triggering conversations and signposting to available help. It did its bit to break the taboo by holding menopause events.
