William Hill - Bookmaker Review

Abigail Moses / 7:22 AM GMT • 17th December, 2025

6 minutes

Brand Analyst Abigail Moses takes a closer look at William Hill, the most iconic betting brand in the UK. With decades of experience on the high street William Hill remains one of the biggest bookies in racing

William Hill is a UK gambling brand that has become synonymous with top-tier racing betting. With over 90 years in business, William Hill is highly regarded across the UK gambling community - and rightly so. The quintessentially British brand started out in 1934, first operating as a postal and telephone bookmaker. A turning point occurred in 1960 with the introduction of the Gambling Act, which led to William Hill opening its first betting shop; a significant milestone for what would help it become a world-dominating retail and digital gambling brand in years to come. 

Since its very foundation, horse racing has been at the epicenter of William Hill's offering, and this continues to be the case today. 

RACING BETTING 

The breadth of horse racing betting at William Hill is completely unmatched. The sportsbook is far more comprehensive than most racing bookmakers out there. Options include daily horse racing markets. These cover events taking place in the UK, Ireland, as well as overseas. From Cheltenham to Dubai, wherever the horse racing action is taking place, William Hill puts its punters at the heart of it. In addition to daily markets, antepost bettors can explore a wide range of betting options. These are most suited to experienced bettors who can predict outcomes before wider opinion and data shift the odds. 

As well as daily and antepost betting options, William Hill is one of the UK betting sites to offer in-running betting on horse racing. This is in-play betting, which can be hugely adrenaline-pinching due to race dynamics that notoriously change in the blink of an eye.

HORSE RACING BETTING MARKETS & BET TYPES

As for racing betting markets, William Hill bettors are spoilt for choice. This is because the bookmaker lists a range of options to suit all types of racing fans and betting appetites. From traditional win and each-way bets to more obscure setups for bettors wanting to take larger risks, William Hill can accommodate all. Multiple bets are well covered, including options such as Double, Treble, Accumulator, Patent, Yankee, Lucky 15/31/63, Super Yankee, Heinz, Super Heinz and Goliath bets. 

Registered bettors can also access a selection of tricast, forecast and special markets, with everything from "Without Favourite" markets to top trainer bets accepted. 

VIRTUAL HORSE RACING AT WILLIAM HILL

Over the past decade, virtual sports betting has spiked in popularity. Largely accelerated by the Covid pandemic, when virtual sports were one of the only betting options available, the sector has since cemented its place as a mainstream betting product. At William Hill, customers can access a wide range of virtual sports markets, including horse racing and greyhounds, all available around the clock. With fast-paced events, frequent betting opportunities and competitive odds, William Hill’s virtual racing offering appeals to racing fans seeking instant action alongside traditional sports markets.

RACING INFORMATION

As well as being the ultimate destination to place and monitor racing bets, William Hill is also a central hub of racing information. These details give bettors all the information they need to create bets with confidence, going into betting sessions feeling informed and equipped with the facts.

At William Hill, customers can access detailed race cards for each race that the bookmaker is taking selections on. These go into hugely granular detail. Each race card includes the following:

• The name, time and venue of the racing event
• The race category, i.e, Flat or Jump race
• The distance the course will cover, presented in miles and yards 
• The classification of the race 
• The number of runners in the contest 

The race card will also provide in-depth details on each of the runners in the race, including the horse's name, silks, its trainer, jockey and the form of the horse. This gives bettors a full picture of the horse's setup, allowing them to place bets accordingly based on those details.

Not quite a horse racing aficionado? If not, some of the terminologies can be quite complex. To ensure horse racing is accessible to all, William Hill features a glossary of terms, which can come in rather handy when absorbing information found on race cards. 

In addition to the race cards, William Hill displays pre-event odds, live odds while the race is taking place, as well as fast and full results, giving punters all they need before they place a bet, while the event is running and after the race has concluded. So, if you are looking for a well-rounded racing betting service, you cannot go far wrong with William Hill. 

To further amplify its offering, William Hill provides live coverage of 24 UK horse racing courses, giving users the opportunity to listen and watch the action from a remote location using their mobile or desktop device. 

PROMOTIONS & OFFERS

While one of the more established betting brands in the market, William Hill has worked hard to maintain its reputation as a top-level betting provider of choice. One way it has achieved this is through its consistent offering of generous promotions, especially for racing fans. Here are just a few examples of the incentives William Hill customers can make use of:

Price Boosts: William Hill offers daily price boosts on selected racing markets. The greatest thing about these boosts is that they are pretty sporadic. While one day they can be based on a market in the day's biggest race, the next it could be surrounding a low-level race run across the pond. 

Extra Places: Each-way bettors can get great value when selecting William Hill as their bookmaker of choice. Paying out extra places on selected races each day, they increase the chances of a return even if their horse doesn't finish in the top three.

Best Odds Guaranteed: William Hill offers BOG (Best Odds Guaranteed) on all UK & Irish Horse Racing, meaning if you take a price early and your selection goes off at bigger odds, you'll be paid at the better SP, with William Hill giving you extra value on every qualifying bet.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

As you will know by reading this review, William Hill is a brand that pays great attention to detail, giving its customers the best possible online horse racing experiences. This is why it will come as no surprise that William Hill is keen to offer around the clock customer support with email, telephone and live chat options available. Whether you have a bet request, are experiencing a technological issue or require safe gambling support, a William Hill agent is always just a tap of your smartphone away. 

REGISTER WITH WILLIAM HILL

To register with William Hill, select the “Claim” button next to the brand’s name on this page and be diverted to the official William Hill website. Hit the “Join” option and fill in the required information. This includes your name, date of birth, contact details and home address. Review and agree to the terms and conditions to conclude the registration process. 

From here, it’s time to deposit funds and place your first horse racing bet as a William Hill customer - good luck!