William Hill Profits Boosted By Online Betting William Hill profits improved by online wagering 19 April 2013 William Hill said a strong efficiency in online wagering helped to boost its very first quarter operating profits by 8%. More sporting bets were made online than in its wagering shops, with an increasing number positioned through its mobile apps. The business said, external that although it had a poor Cheltenham Festival, it had better luck in the Champions League. It was the very first time no English football group had been in the quarter finals since 1996. As such, while the amount paid out to winning bets at the Cheltenham Festival was higher, the money punters positioned on English teams to advance to the Champions League quarter finals and beyond all went into William Hill's coffers. The company stated it had likewise enjoyed its best-ever outcome in a Grand National, which was won by the 66-1 outsider Auroras Encore. "It has been a successful start to 2013 in trading terms", stated chief executive Ralph Topping. "Having grown our UK online market share from 10% to 15% over the last four years, we intend to increase our share and are making considerable financial investments in marketing, innovation and people to achieve that," he included. On Monday, competing bookmaker Ladbrokes cautioned that trading had been worse than expected in the first three months of the year. The company blamed a drop in make money from the Cheltenham Festival and lower profits from high value gamblers. It included that a high variety of cancelled meetings, since of the harsh winter, had actually likewise affected its outcomes. Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: "William Hill's performance and potential customers are in plain contrast to the problems currently being dealt with at Ladbrokes.