William Hill Chairman Wary of Government Regulations

Gareth Davis, William Hill’s chairman and ex-CEO at Imperial Tobacco, believes that businesses in Britain are currently suffering from more government intervention than at any previous time in the last 40 years. Davis argues that despite the fact that Britain’s economy is currently robust the government is involved in regulating an increasingly large part of the business sector.

William Hill’s Chairman, Gareth Davis, has warned against increasing government involvement in the UK business sector.

Davis said, “If you look at the spread of industries and the focus on governance issues, particularly the remuneration issue, I’d have to conclude that in my 40 years of working life this is the most intervention I’ve seen.”
Davis certainly has first-hand experience of working under government regulations. Bookmakers such as William Hill are currently under pressure from the main political parties over a range of issues such as gambling advertisement on television, the number of betting shops across the UK as well as the widely discussed issue of gambling addiction and the industry’s responsibility in prevention and treatment.

William Hill’s chief is not the only one who warns against the increasing regulation. The director-general of CBI (the country’s largest business lobby group), John Cridland, believes that upcoming political changes, such as the Scottish referendum and the upcoming general election will have a profound effect on the country’s business sector.