Bookmaker backs proposed 2% online revenue tax

BRITISH bookmaker William Hill has thrown its support behind the proposed 2% revenue tax on betting firms’ online operations in Ireland.

The company finally launched its long-awaited dedicated Irish website yesterday, a move the firm hopes will regenerate its Irish operations after a series of shop closures over the past couple of years.

After the launch, Cathal McCarthy, chief financial officer of William Hill.com, said that the company is not against the principle of an Irish tax on online revenues (even for overseas firms) and could absorb it without incurring a significant hit to its bottom line.