The William Hill brand in the US betting market is nearing its end following the sportsbook’s acquisition by Caesars Entertainment.
On April 22, Caesars finalized the deal to acquire the U.K. sports betting giant for nearly $4 billion. Earlier this week, executives confirmed during an earnings conference call that they will soon rebrand William Hill’s American operations.
The William Hill rebrand is expected before the start of the 2021 NFL season. William Hill retail sportsbooks will be rebranded under the Caesars name, and William Hill’s mobile app is expected to be renamed Caesars Sports.
Caesars is one of the many sportsbooks Marylanders can expect to open operations before the end of the year following the passing of the state’s sports betting legislation. Caesars owns Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, one of the sites designated for a sports betting license.
Caesars finalizes William Hill acquisition
The Caesars acquisition of William Hill gives Caesars full ownership of William Hill’s domestic digital and physical gaming assets. Caesars has plans to sell off the non-US William Hill businesses. These include the U.K. and international online divisions and retail betting shops.
The acquisition had been held up following a challenge by William Hill shareholders disputing the deal.
The agreement brings together two well-known gaming brands. William Hill and Caesars combine to operate sports betting in 18 US jurisdictions, 13 of which offer mobile sports betting.
The deal gives Caesars ownership of one of the largest sportsbook operators in the country. Caesars currently accepts online sports bets only in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
By the end of the year, Caesars expects to launch a sportsbook in two more states, bringing its post-acquisition sportsbook reach to 20 states.
Caesars partners with NFL and ESPN
With the help of some notable partnerships, sports viewers can expect to see a lot of Caesars sports betting content moving forward.
In April, the NFL announced that Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel had been named official sports betting partners of the league. Caesars had already been operating as the League’s official casino sponsor, a partnership that started in 2019. At the time, Caesars became the NFL’s first-ever casino sponsor.
Additionally, Caesars is the official odds provider of ESPN programming, appearing on a variety of programs across ESPN’s platforms.
The Caesars name may also soon appear on the New Orleans Superdome, as reported by The Athletic.
What to expect in Maryland
The sports betting bill passed by the General Assembly still awaits Gov. Larry Hogan’s signature, but operators are lining up to launch in the near future.
With its ownership of Horseshoe Baltimore, Caesars has a clear path to open a retail sportsbook and mobile product.
Meanwhile, both Maryland Live! Casino and MGM National Harbor are building out their retail sportsbook operations. Maryland Live! unveiled its new space last week, which will soon offer a FanDuel Sportsbook. MGM’s retail sportsbook is also reportedly moving through the planning process and will offer the company’s BetMGM Sportsbook product.
Elsewhere, Penn National Gaming might leverage the Barstool Sports brand out of Hollywood Casino Perryville, which was purchased by Penn National in December 2020. One of the state’s smaller casinos, Ocean Downs Casino has an affiliation with TwinSpires.
The expectation is that casino sportsbooks will be up and running by the start of the 2021 NFL season, although mobile offerings and sports betting at smaller venues may have to wait due to the proposed license selection process.
