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PrintWe’ve been told all along that William Hill will be innovative and that it will do things differently and that its presence will be felt immediately despite arriving in Nevada—and more specifically, Las Vegas—just a few months ago.
Already, the U.K.-based bookmaker is showing its early potential.
William Hill is offering money lines on every college football game regardless of the point spread and is believed to be the only book in town providing customers with such an opportunity.
Riviera’s race and sportsbook, pictured here, is one of the 159 properties operated by William Hill in Nevada.
Last week, a local bettor plopped down $2,000 on Texas State (to beat Houston) at 60-to-1 odds. And, what do you know? The Bobcats won outright as 34-point underdogs and the man received a $120,000 return on his investment.
“I’ve always been an advocate of, ‘If there’s a number on a game, there should be a money line associated with it,’” said Jimmy Vaccaro, William Hill’s Director of Public Relations and a bookmaker for 37 years. “So, that works easy. We feel fortunate that we have a little leeway to do these types of things and I think down the road it will help.”
Vaccaro doesn’t view the lost bet as a deterrent for two reasons:
- The odds are fair.
- The offering meets customer demand.
“We don’t get a lot of people walking up to the counter like the gentleman did betting [$2,000 on a 60-to-1], but you get a lot of $10, $15 or $20 bets in similar situations,” Vaccaro said. “Winning a bet like that, you pound your chest out to show how smart you are and that you’ve won a few dollars and you’re the king of your kingdom for about 24 hours.”
THE LIMITS
William Hill won’t let customers bet $20,000 on a 60-to-1 longshot, but those hoping to risk a few thousand won’t be turned away.
“You still have a limit on everything. The limit protects the house,” Vaccaro said. “We’d probably, and this is just a guess, we’d go anywhere up to the person winning a quarter-million dollars on a game.
“Now, that’s not a guarantee. But put it this way: Sight unseen, we let a guy gamble to win $120,000. If he came back and wanted $5,000 at a 40-to-1 shot, I’d imagine we’d write the ticket immediately.”
COLLEGE CONTEST DEADLINE APPROACHING
Nevada residents hoping to participate in William Hill’s college football contest must sign up this week. The contest, which requires you to make seven weekly picks against the spread from predetermined lines, costs $100 to enter.
William Hill is also offering an NFL contest with weekly prizes and a grand prize.
For more details, click here.
