William Hill to withdraw from Chinese market
UK operator cites regulatory issues as reason for withdrawal of egaming operations in the region
William Hill is to withdraw from the Chinese market “for the foreseeable future” owing to regulatory issues.
In a message addressed to affiliates last week, the operator confirmed it would suspend all online gaming accounts of residents of China from midday on 19 August.
Customers will however be able to sign into their accounts and withdraw outstanding balances.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you; however this decision has been taken for regulatory reasons beyond our control,” the company stated.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed a lack of regulatory movement and banking governance issues to be behind the withdrawal, but noted it to have minimal impact on William Hill due to it representing a small percentage of the company’s business.
A number of egaming companies have considered moves into the potentially lucrative Chinese market, including Betsson and BetVictor, the latter having launched its VC+ sports betting and casino brand in September last year.