William Hill Going Green With Paper-Free Leeds Retail Sportsbook

William Hill is one of the top names in gaming, from sports wagering to casino games and beyond. And, while the betting company was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in a $4 billion deal, the brand is still active in other countries. In fact, another popular betting brand, 888 Holdings, finalized an acquisition of William Hill assets outside of the United States just a few months ago. And, just like with the Caesars acquisition, this move is going to mean some big changes for William Hill Sportsbook. A new type of in-person sports betting spot is going to launch soon under the William Hill brand, and it’ll bring something new to the table. Let’s take a look at the new William Hill retail betting spots that focus on sustainability.

William Hill Opens Sustainable Betting Location in Leeds

A major post-acquisition move by 888 Holdings is to break ground on the first all-digital retail sportsbook. The betting location is located in Leeds as a test run, which could expand into other markets if it proves to be successful. The new betting spots is completely paperless, offering a sustainable alternative to standard in-person sports betting.

The paper-free location features research screens that display info and stats that might be relevant before placing a wager. In an effort to focus on responsible gaming, a digital dashboard will inform users if they’ve spent too much time in the wagering location. The William Hill Sportsbook even has phone charging stations available for bettors combatting a low battery. According to Casino.org, the recent launch of the Leeds sportsbook has been a success thus far. This means that the William Hill Glasgow Sportsbook might undergo a similar paperless change, although the company is facing pushback from the council in the area.

Mobile Betting vs. Retail Betting

Generally, the difference between online sports betting and retail sports betting is fairly standard. With online betting, it’s usually as simple as opening up a wagering app on your smartphone and placing the wager of your choice. With retail sports betting, on the other hand, you generally walk up to a kiosk or counter, place your desired wager, and receive a printed ticket with your bet info that you can use to cash in if it’s a winner. Additionally, there are generally printed sheets of paper with betting data and point spreads for different sporting events that day. The new William Hill Sportsbook in Leeds is an interesting combination of the two, replacing all physical printed information with digital alternatives.

The U.S. has plenty of in-person betting spots, and it will be interesting to see if they begin to transition to this more digital format. Ohio sports betting is preparing for a full launch, which includes placing wagers at retail sportsbooks. The state is especially interesting when it comes to in-person betting, as its Type C licenses allow even grocery stores to have betting kiosks available. Another retail sports betting trend in the United States has been opening retail sportsbooks at stadiums, with the BetMGM Sportsbook in State Farm Stadium (home of the Arizona Cardinals) recently opening its doors.