NYX stake forces Hills to withdraw from Canadian provinces
Operator to pull out of British Columbia and Manitoba due to "licensing conditions" from its ?80m investment in NYX Gaming
William Hill is to withdraw from Canada’s British Columbia and Manitoba provinces due to licensing conditions resulting from the operator’s recently acquired stake in NYX Gaming, eGaming Review has learned.
The operator has ceased new registrations and informed customers to withdraw funds, and in the coming days will use IP blocking to prevent customers located in the two provinces from accessing the website.
William Hill’s withdrawal from the provinces comes after the operator recently made an ?80m investment in NYX Gaming as part of the Canadian supplier’s ?270m acquisition of OpenBet.
The sportsbook supplier has a long-term deal in place with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), which in turn also has a partnership with Manitoba Lotteries to provide online gambling in the province.
“William Hill can confirm that as an equity holder in NYX we are subject to certain licensing conditions, one of which has been to cease operating in the Canadian provinces of British Columbian and Manitoba,” a William Hill spokesperson told EGR.
A number of operators have withdrawn from the North American grey market in recent years, including Betfair in December ahead of its merger with Paddy Power, which provides its sportsbook services to the BCLC.