by Renee Israel
William Hill's agreement with Score Media Incorporated
appears to be a win-win situation for both companies.
It means that UK users of the ScoreMobile FC app will now be able to wager on
live soccer games at William Hill using a smart phone handset like iPhone,
BlackBerry and Windows. They will also get the latest scores and other
information on over 100 leagues all over the world through this mobile app.
These facilities will be available via an integrated William Hill tab. This
was revealed by Benjie Levy, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating
Officer for Score Media. The FC app receives 3.6 million unique visitors every
month through the ScoreMobile and SportsTap innovations.
David Bazak from William Hill said, "We're delighted to be partnering with
ScoreMobile FC, an innovative product with huge relevance for our own customer
base." Live in-play betting requires that punters have available the latest
news, statistics and scores. This makes ScoreMobile FC a perfect companion for
bettors on William Hill.
William Hill Expects Trouble Over Executive Pay
Other related news from William Hill is that shareholders of the gaming firm
will likely oppose some decisions in the forthcoming annual general meeting this
week. Of late British shareholders and institutional investors have been taking
proactive stances, especially against steep executive remuneration and perks
that are thought to be too high or have been increased too much.
The Guardian newspaper carried a report that the pay of William Hill chief
executive Ralph Topping is likely to come under scrutiny. In 2010 some 38% of
William Hill's shareholders voted against the remuneration report that showed
that Topping's total pay had increased by 56% to £1.65 million per year. Then
the advisory vote was ineffective because the companies are not bound to accept
or act on these.
Then, in 2011, Topping was awarded an additional £1.2 million in shares and a
£60,000 pay rise, taking his total remuneration package up to £1.71 million.
According to The Guardian, this year Topping's salary was raised by another
£50,000 to £ 650,000. Details on the other components of the remuneration were
not reported. It is for this reason the Guardian speculated that the
shareholders' annual general meeting may be a stormy one.
Given the performance of William Hill under him and the experience and
business acumen he brings to the table one can probably justify Topping's
remuneration. In any event, it is far below what many leading footballers earn
every month, and whose public behaviour is nothing less than deplorable.
