British bookmaking firm William Hill launch their new offshore telephone betting service tomorrow promising punters reduced deductions from their bets.
And the bookmaking firm reiterated that they have been forced to make the move in response to the lack of reduction in the rate of betting duty in the United Kingdom.
The new operation's base is in Athlone, Co Westmeath, where punters' bets will be taken prior to them being passed on for acceptance to the William Hill International bookmaking company in Antigua.
Customers will pay a mandatory deduction of just three per cent to cover administrative charges, rather than the current standard nine per cent betting tax in betting shops or over the telephone.
"We must re-emphasise that we have taken this step because our case for reducing betting duty in the UK has as yet gone unanswered by the Government," said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe.
"We cannot afford to stand by and see our business ebb away."
Later this week William Hill will also become the first major bookmaking firm to offer a completely deduction-free betting service to UK-based clients via the Internet.
