William Hill Reviews Jobs Ahead of MRG Acquisition

Prior to the acquisition of MRG (Mr Green operator) that was long in the making, UK betting giant, William Hill, will be reviewing their Gibraltar, Leeds and London locations and over 100 job positions there.

Even though some redundancies and severances are expected, most employees will simply be relocated, deployed or will continue working in new roles.

Necessary Changes

William Hill has announced in October that it hopes to acquire MRG in a $308 million purchase which will ultimately combine Mr Green and Redbet brands will William Hill.

It is also a measure of precaution on William Hill’s end as they prepare to adapt to post-Brexit economic landscape by making ties with companies and operators outside of UK.

The changes in the company personnel will be undertaken chiefly in the online business department and the main reason why this is being done is because MRG takeover will duplicate numerous roles.

Positions reviewed are within Hill at the moment, while those working with Mr Green and Redbet are outside the review process for now.

Finalization of Deal Imminent

MRG’s staff is not to be reviewed as per the point in their deal that says that “no decision will be taken on any material changes to MRG’s employees and management or to the existing organisation and operations, including the of employment and locations of the business.”

The takeover offer (SEK69) acceptance period will last from December 10th to January 11th and the final realization of the deal would take part not long after that.

In October, William Hill’s CEO, Philip Bowcock, said that MRG will provide William Hill with an international hub in Malta with market entry expertise and strong growth across Europe. “William Hill will move from a single brand to a suite of brands that can maximise growth opportunities moving forward in new and existing markets.”

A Period of Consolidation

Also in October, Hill appointed former Ladbrokes CEO, Phil Walker, new UK and Ireland online managing director. The company is also seeking for a new international online managing director who will be situated in Malta.

There has been quite a number of new hires over the past couple of months within the company which, when put in the context of looming merger with MRG, may have been excessive. This is why the current review will try and consolidate betting group’s personnel and achieve optimal organization through restructuring.

Should any redundancies occur, William Hill will provide full packages to those affected.

Source:

“William Hill launches review of iGaming roles”, igamingbusiness.com, December 3, 2018.