Fred Done Eyes Up William Hill’s UK Online and Retail Estate

After a disclosure earlier today surrounding Caesars Entertainment’s £2.9 billion take over of William Hill and speculation as to how the takeover will reshape the company, Betfred owner Fred Done is looking at sweeping up William Hill’s UK online and retail estate at a discounted price.

Updated: 26 January 2024 By Becky Mosley

After a disclosure earlier today surrounding Caesars Entertainment’s £2.9 billion take over of William Hill and speculation as to how the takeover will reshape the company, Betfred owner Fred Done is looking at sweeping up William Hill’s UK online and retail estate at a discounted price.In March, Done invested in a 6% stake in William Hill, cashing in on a huge ‘pandemic’ fallout share price of 36p. After the announcement of the takeover earlier today, Done is set to pocket £170 Million, sparking rumours of Done’s interest in William Hill’s UK online and retail outlets.

UK Profits Plunged

The drastic reduction on the maximum deposits for FOBT’s by the Gambling Commission in April has seen William Hill’s profits plunge and they had to make huge cut backs in retail estate and rethink it’s presence in the UK, which incurred a huge £800 million in their 2019 accounts.Even after the losses William Hill accrued in 2019, Caesars are confident in the fact William Hill are aggressively perusing its sportsbook expansion in the US, where Caesars have built the biggest domestic casino footprint after a successful $17 billion merger with Eldorado Resorts.

US Sportsbook Success

With the success of William Hill’s US deal and continued growth, Caesars are pushing forward with the US expansion and may offload the UK arm of the business, both retail and online to concentrate on its US mass-market sportsbook operation.Following the takeover, William Hill’s future looks a lot brighter and it’s US expansion moving along swiftly.

Becky Mosley
Editor-in-Chief at Compare Casino Sites

Rebecca (Becky) Mosley has been at the heart of the UK online gambling industry since 2008 — making her one of the most experienced voices in casino comparison. She is editor-in-chief at Compare Casino Sites and personally oversees every casino review published here.

Becky brings a genuine player-first perspective to everything on CCS. Her approach has always been the same: transparency, fair bonus terms, and responsible gambling above all else. She insists on the same standards from every operator listed on the site — if a casino's terms can't stand up to plain-English scrutiny, it doesn't earn a recommendation.

Over 17 years in the industry, Becky has built deep expertise across UK Gambling Commission licensing, slot game mechanics, bonus structures, and the constantly evolving regulatory landscape. She works directly with operators and software providers to keep every listing accurate, and reviews each casino's wagering requirements, withdrawal limits, and customer support before a single rating goes live.

Becky is a Companies House registered director.