William Hill pledges no more closures

WILLIAM HILL has no plans for any further closures within its dwindling Irish-based retail portfolio, the bookmaker has claimed.

The British gaming firm — which entered the Irish market in 2005 after its takeover of Stanley Racing — closed 14 shops in Ireland two years ago, with the loss of over 50 jobs, and subsequently put its remaining 35 under review. Last month, it closed another 20 under-performing outlets, leaving it with 15 shops in the Republic and 36 in the North.

According to a spokesperson for the company, which published its latest trading update yesterday, all remaining shops in Ireland are profitable and will stay open while they remain so.