William Hill Faces Backlash for Offering Food to Attract Gamblers

William Hill is offering food in its outlets to attract more gamblers. The test run is only taking place in five shops across the UK. The promotion included a special offer for a sausage and egg muffin at £2, less than the equivalent menu option at McDonald’s, while the Big Al’s Chicken Burger is £2.50, again cheaper than a McChicken Sandwich.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, a recovering gambling addict and a former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, said: “When the cheapest sausage and egg muffin on the high street is in William Hill, you start to wonder whether the food is there as a loss leader, in an attempt to generate new customers.”

Labour MP Carolyn Harris followed up with: “It looks like a cynical plot to keep customers in the bookies.” William Hill countered by saying the change was purely aimed at following through with what customers had asked for.