William Hill to stick to own prices online for all British and Irish races

William Hill have followed Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook in continuing to trade their own prices online up to the off for all races in Britain and Ireland.

The move, which is not being replicated in the firm’s betting shops for the time being, makes William Hill the second organisation to break from the tradition of taking ‘show’ prices generated on course.

William Hill currently price markets on all British and Irish races the evening before an event and trade their own prices until the 'show' generated from on-course bookmakers is distributed both online and to betting shops around ten minutes before the off.

When making the move to their own prices in October, Paddy Power Betfair claimed their trials showed that punters will get a price equal to or better than traditional board prices 75 per cent of the time.

However, should other firms follow the lead of Paddy Power Betfair and William Hill, it might call the future of the SP system, which is generated from racecourse bookmaker prices at the off and on which bets are settled when a price is not taken by a punter, into question.

A spokesman for William Hill said on Sunday: “Online, we are now Hills shows. There are no plans at the moment to replicate this in shops.”

The move is not the first time bookmakers have traded their own show prices up to the off, with the now defunct Blue Square doing so in 2006.

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