While William Hill has been operating in Indiana on a brick-and-mortar basis for quite some time, the lack of an online wagering presence has hampered its ability to compete for market share. This will soon change with the upcoming launch of William Hill online sportsbook.
The Indiana Gaming Commission authorized William Hill to start taking bets online, but no earlier than Wednesday, Oct. 28.
It could signal a new serious contestant for market share dominance.
Few details on the William Hill online Indiana launch
Although William Hill has not yet confirmed that its app and website will actually start taking online wagers on Wednesday, that’s the odds-on favorite for a launch date right now.
Apple iOS users can find the William Hill sportsbook app on the App Store, while Android patrons need to go to the mobile William Hill website to find download instructions for the app.
Once downloaded, bettors can register their accounts and make their first deposits completely over the web.
William Hill will likely have a special bonus for first-time depositors in the Hoosier State as well.
William Hill operates the retail book at Tropicana Evansville, which is a Caesars property. This could represent the beginning of a more concerted effort to build a robust presence in the market for Caesars.
Caesars has operated its own online sportsbook in Indiana since May.
It’s failed to truly compete with the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel for market share, however. Among sports bettors specifically, William Hill is a bigger name.
Caesars has plans to acquire William Hill, which will likely integrate Caesars Rewards into William Hill’s online sportsbook, and bring the William Hill branding to all of Caesars properties in the Hoosier State.
The gambling giant’s serious aspirations for the market are already obvious in another way as well.
Caesars and William Hill hopping on the Colts’ back
Caesars and William Hill have hitched their wagon to one of the premier sports entertainment brands in the state. The two just became the official sports betting partners of the Indianapolis Colts.
Caesars will sponsor a free-to-play “Pick 6 Predictor” game on the Colts Mobile App. The game generates a series of questions before games. Caesars will reward correct picks with weekly prizes. All participants get a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas as well.
William Hill will get exposure through Colts’ digital and physical real estate. In terms of exposure to a massive number of sports fans, this will help put William Hill on par with other operators in the state. The online launch is coming at just the right time for taking advantage of that enhanced brand awareness.
According to Sharon Otterman, chief marketing officer of William Hill,
“William Hill Sports Book entered the Indiana market last year and has seen tremendous success. This latest partnership between William Hill, Caesars Entertainment and the Indianapolis Colts brings together three industry-leaders that are reshaping the way fans engage with sports during unprecedented times.”
Bettors should expect to see a barrage of ads for William Hill’s online sportsbook with the online launch potentially just a couple of days away.
Caesars’ future investment of $3.7 billion for William Hill will pay off if it can push the sportsbook to the forefront of the Hoosier State sports betting market.
