- Reliability
- Relatively low margin
- Excellent software for mobile, which can be downloaded directly from the site
- Average ratios
- Bookmaker cuts highs for those who want to earn more
This William Hill esports betting site review offers fans of Counter Strike: Global Offensive everything they need to know about betting with William Hill. William Hill was originally founded in 1934, by, aptly enough, William Hill. Since then, the company has become an iconic presence on the UK betting scene, and has recently begun to offer esports markets to bettors.
William Hill Overview and Esports Betting Markets
William Hill is one of the longest established bookmakers in the UK, having started to open betting shops on Britain’s high street in 1966. Employing more than 16,000 people in nine different countries, the company’s sportsbook app has been downloaded over 2.5 million times from the Apple App Store since 2012, a testament to the brand’s enduring popularity. The company has recently started to offer esports markets to customers, with Counter Strike: Global Offensive events being well covered, alongside League of Legends, Starcraft and Defense of the Ancients tournaments.
At the time of writing, William Hill was offering markets on three CSGO tournaments: the Lootbet Cup, the ESEA League and the Stream.me Gauntlet. These tournaments feature some of the top CSGO teams in the world, with the likes of ACG, spray n pray, and Avant Garde participating. William Hill offers in play markets on individual matches, as well as offering customers the chance to bet on match outcomes. Betting on overall tournament winners did not seem to be an available option at the time of writing, which is a shame. But, if you are well acquainted with the careers of top CSGO players such as Coldzera (Marcelo David), then it is simple to find their teams and place bets on their matches at William hill.
Importantly, there are also plenty of in-play betting options for CSGO fans at William Hill, so customers can bet on individual map winners within matches, along with plenty of other in-play options. Many other bookmakers do not provide esports fans with this service. If customers want to take this option and place in play bets, then Reddit can be a good source of additional information about the specific abilities of players and teams. The Subreddit ‘CSGO Betting’ features plenty of hints and tips for gamblers who are keen on betting on Counter Strike.
William Hill Website Functionality and Betting
The William Hill website is one of the slickest available, with a very professional and polished presentation. Easy to navigate around, and with plenty of additional information about the company for users to peruse, there are few better websites out there when it comes to online sports betting. Handy additional features also add value. For example, customers can choose in which format their odds are given, either fractional, American style handicaps, or decimal, making it simple to calculate likely winnings. The website has a comprehensive list of all sports markets available on site at the top of the page, but there is a host of clearly labelled tabs on the site which open up to reveal the full range of markets on offer. Finding esports markets is very simple, and customers can open a list of individual matches on which odds are being offered. Bets can be added to the customer’s bet slip by clicking on the odds tab against each team’s name in the match section.
A mobile app is also available from William Hill, for customers who enjoy the accessibility of being able to place bets on a mobile phone or tablet. The app can be downloaded by iPhone or Android users. Using the mobile app is a good option for players who like to bet in-play on live esports matches, and William Hill certainly offers awesome in-play betting options for esports fans. These tend to be quite rare and quite event specific, however, so anyone who is keen on in-play Counter Strike betting needs to visit the site on a regular basis to check this.
Live streaming, Bonuses and Added Extras
Sadly, there are no live streaming options available for any esports events currently at William Hill. This may well change in the future, however, as the company offers comprehensive streaming options for fans of other sports, particularly horse racing. Fans of CSGO live streaming can watch the matches on Twitch, though, after they have placed their bets at William Hill.
One area in which William Hill’s overall rating is high is its promotions and bonuses. There is always a good range of bonuses available for fans of different types of sports betting, while the welcome bonus for new customers is one of the best available to UK gamblers. New customers who place any sports bet of at least £10, at odds of at least 1/2 or greater, will receive £30 in free bets. New customers must use the code C30 when placing their bets to trigger the bonus. William Hill also offers any customers, new or otherwise, another bonus called Acca Five Insurance. To trigger the bonus, the rules are that customers must place an accumulator bet with at least five selections on it. If one selection on the accumulator fails, then the customer will receive their stake back as a free bet. This applies across all sports, including esports.
Customer Service, License and Security
As a well-established, almost iconic, brand, William does not disappoint when it comes to customer service and security issues. The company is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission to make it legal for British customers, and licensed by the Gibraltar Government and the Gibraltar Gambling Commission for its customers outside of the UK. A very safe site to use, William uses Thawte’s SSL technology to encrypt its users’ data.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, and seven days a week, for both telephone and email enquiries. As yet, there is no live chat option for customer service at William Hill, though this may change in the near future.
Overall, this William Hill esports betting site review finds that William Hill offers a good, reasonably comprehensive service to fans of CSGO betting. Secure, useable, and with reasonable coverage of esports markets, it is highly recommended.