William Hill quitting Israel

[footballaffiliate]

The best news i've seen in a long while!!
https://sbcnews.co.uk/technology/2017/06/27/william-hill-closes-tel-aviv-tech-office/

"FTSE-listed bookmaker William Hill is reported to be closing down its Tel Aviv (Israel) office, which will see the company make approximately 200 staff members redundant."

Does this mean that affiliates will be able to trust these guys come their move to London?

Took them a long time to divorce Playtech and by the sounds of it they got right royally shafted by them, but at least they're out. Even William Hill got robbed by William Hil Israel, so what can you expect as an affiliate?!

Check out former CEO Ralf Topping's view on his own company in Israel back in 2011
https://www.ft.com/content/dc51bf16-0a2d-11e1-85ca-00144feabdc0?mhq5j=e1

Sounds like even the CEO at the time couldn't even communicate with these guys.

Good riddance William Hill Israel. It wasn't nice knowing you! I expect most of you will now end up at the other Israeli based affiliate programs, but hopefully a big player like William Hill leaving Israel will fire a warning shot to other big brands.

 

[TheGooner]

Check out former CEO Ralf Topping's view on his own company in Israel back in 2011
https://www.ft.com/content/dc51bf16-0a2d-11e1-85ca-00144feabdc0?mhq5j=e1

Can't access that story it is behind FT's paywall.

 

[AussieDave]

Sagi is set to turn a nice profit from his Playtech stocks. Seems like ALL the crooked/dodgy bastards in this industry, are the ones who win. What happen to "good prevailing over evil"?... Starting to sound like a made up bed-time-story.

 

[footballaffiliate]

Can't access that story it is behind FT's paywall.

Apologies, seemed to work for me yesterday. Basically the ex-William Hill CEO Ralf Topping publicly laying into the Israelis, bemused how even he, as the CEO of William Hill at the time couldn't even get in touch with the CEO of Playtech, who constantly make excuses about his Blackberry being broken! Sounds like my old affiliate manager when I used to work with these guys

 

[footballaffiliate]

Sagi is set to turn a nice profit from his Playtech stocks. Seems like ALL the crooked/dodgy bastards in this industry, are the ones who win. What happen to "good prevailing over evil"?... Starting to sound like a made up bed-time-story.

Yeah, if you do a quick search on Google around "William Hill Israel Playtech" you'll get the general feeling that William Hill wanted a technology provider, was duped by Playtech into a deal where Playtech took some sort of share in the company, the staff in Israel were loyal to Playtech and not William Hill (hence the walkout a few years ago), and Playtech basically held William Hill to ransom with a buy back clause.

William Hill have thus bitten the bullet and have overpaid for a chunk of their own company they foolishly gave away a few years ago in return for some technology.

Seems the crook Sagi probably had this all in mind from the start. More jail time Sagi?

 

[footballaffiliate]

On a similar note I've also heard rumours that with the merger of Ladbrokes-Coral that Ladbrokes will be quitting Israel too and the affiliate program going onto Income Access alongside Coral.

With Israel apparently reported to be becoming more expensive for William Hill, thus pulling out (excuses, excuses!), perhaps the same is happening with Ladbrokes. No longer can companies go to Tel Aviv and save on their marketing budget. You might as well have some decent guys who people trust based in London.

At least something positive has come out of Brexit! A bit more devaluation of the pound and it'll start hitting the bottom lines of these guys operating down in Israel.

 

[Biti]

Also Ladbrokes had problems with their affiliate team in Israel. I don't know if this will make them trustable or not. Of course, affiliate programs based in Israel do not have a good reputation at all, but the same can be said of many programs not based in Israel, also programs operating from the UK.

And, Ladbrokes now is moving to Income Access, which is absolutely nothing better.

 

[KasinoKing]

Just pulling out of Israel (WH & lads) would not be enough for me to trust them - unless ALL the staff are changing too...
Not worth the risk (as a casino only affiliate) of working with these long-time crooks.

KK

 

[footballaffiliate]

And, Ladbrokes now is moving to Income Access, which is absolutely nothing better.

True. Although Income Access is a complete pile of sh1t, I would still prefer it over the current Mexos system though, which allows those guys in Israel to skim off your players and commissions. Mexos was the subject of the big William Hill affiliate fraud scandal wasn't it?

 

[footballaffiliate]

Just pulling out of Israel (WH & lads) would not be enough for me to trust them - unless ALL the staff are changing too...
Not worth the risk (as a casino only affiliate) of working with these long-time crooks.

KK

At the moment they're saying some "senior" Israeli people will be offered jobs in London, Poland etc, so yes, I wouldn't trust them until I know who I'm working with. Hopefully these thieves will scuttle away to some other operation in Tel Aviv and steal from there, like 888 or someone like that, instead of transferring with William Hill. By the sounds of it the William Hill guys in the UK never want to see an Israeli again considering the terrible relationship they've had with these guys over the past 5+ years

 

[footballaffiliate]

Wonder what the William Hill stand at Amsterdam will look like? A load of sour faced demotivated guys who have just been told they're working their notice out?!

 

[footballaffiliate]

Just pulling out of Israel (WH & lads) would not be enough for me to trust them - unless ALL the staff are changing too...
Not worth the risk (as a casino only affiliate) of working with these long-time crooks.

KK

I also get the feeling now with the Ladbrokes-Coral merger that it could go the other way - Ladbrokes go to Income Access but the affiliate team for both brand will be managed by Israeli affiliate managers. So, Corals on our watch list at the moment as one of those brands to drop, not that they make us much money anyway

 

[Biti]

It's weird than that it lasted so long. They have let it happen too. For sure they were aware about big scandals like the stolen Joyland-millions, the shaving, the complaints, etc.

 

[footballaffiliate]

It's weird than that it lasted so long. They have let it happen too. For sure they were aware about big scandals like the stolen Joyland-millions, the shaving, the complaints, etc.

I know for sure that a lot of big affiliates spoke to Ralph Topping direct at the time he was there. He was pretty open to conversations with people of all levels given he worked his way up from the very bottom of the company up to CEO, only to see it robbed by Playtech before his retirement. He's a proper Scotsman too, and doesn't mince his words!

 

[baldidiot]

On a similar note I've also heard rumours that with the merger of Ladbrokes-Coral that Ladbrokes will be quitting Israel too and the affiliate program going onto Income Access alongside Coral.

They've literally just moved Coral out to Israel for a joint ladbrokes/coral program so I'd be very surprised if they then closed it down and moved again. Anything's possible I guess.

Although moving Laddies to IA would be a very welcome move.

 

[footballaffiliate]

They've literally just moved Coral out to Israel for a joint ladbrokes/coral program so I'd be very surprised if they then closed it down and moved again. Anything's possible I guess.

Although moving Laddies to IA would be a very welcome move.

Probably staying in Israel then. Interesting they want to consolidate on Income Access then given Mexos is a Playtech (and Israeli) product. Perhaps like William Hill they're also trying to become less dependent on Playtech, or perhaps IA is just the affiliate system of choice for the new combined group.

Would be a shame to see the existing Coral affiliate team go though. They have always been pretty friendly and useful

 

[baldidiot]

Interesting they want to consolidate on Income Access then given Mexos is a Playtech (and Israeli) product. Perhaps like William Hill they're also trying to become less dependent on Playtech, or perhaps IA is just the affiliate system of choice for the new combined group.

I've not heard anything about a software change - has someone said something or is it speculation? I bloody hope coral doesn't go to mexos, let's just put it that way...

Would be a shame to see the existing Coral affiliate team go though. They have always been pretty friendly and useful

Already gone, they went in May I think.

New team is headed by Neil (from Gala) and pretty much everyone I've spoken to has said they have a new ladbrokes AM (who also looks after your coral account).

 

[footballaffiliate]

I've not heard anything about a software change - has someone said something or is it speculation? I bloody hope coral doesn't go to mexos, let's just put it that way...




Already gone, they went in May I think.

New team is headed by Neil (from Gala) and pretty much everyone I've spoken to has said they have a new ladbrokes AM (who also looks after your coral account).

Yeah, heard it myself that they're pretty sure they're moving Ladbrokes to Income Access.

Shame Coral will be now managed by Israeli affiliate managers. From a brief conversation with mine it seems like the usual approach - not what can you do for us, but what space can I get on your home page, where, and can I offer you a new deal, new account etc. The usual tactics from these guys. Just trying to look after their own misguided key performance indicators.

 

[casinonewbie]

Can't access that story it is behind FT's paywall.

http://www.osga.com/online_gaming_articles.php?Relations-go-sour-for-William-Hill-and-Playtech-9715

 

[baldidiot]

Our new guy seems pretty decent actually, as was our last Ladbrokes AM. In fact everyone we've dealt with at laddies in Israel has been great.