Bookie enters home straight with new IT system

Bookmaker William Hill has confirmed it is "bang on target" for the rollout of its new Electronic Point Of Sale (Epos) system by the end of the year.

Following trials in bookies at the start of the year, Hills started the Epos rollout in April with a target of converting 50 shops per week.

The new system allows staff to register punters' bets faster and also to pay out quicker, by removing the need for staff to manually settle bets.

The bookmaker said half of its 1,613 licensed betting offices now have the system in place, and added that the installations are on target to be completed by the end of the year.

The new system allows staff to register punters' bets faster and also to pay out quicker, by removing the need for staff to manually settle bets.

The technical rollout is being complemented by a 140-strong training team touring the country.

A spokesman for Hills said the company had taken its time to ensure the system is right for its needs. "Many earlier systems used by Hills competitors have been fraught with systems glitches but we are confident that our patience in ensuring the product was spot on for our needs prior to the rollout is now paying dividends by the fact that everything is going very smoothly," he said in a statement.

The planned completion date of the project is 18 December 2005. Once fully in place, the system will also be able to provide a full liability management overview.

In addition to their existing estate, Hills has completed the acquisition of Stanley Leisure's 561 betting shops and, as part of the rebranding, will update the present Stanley systems in line with the enhanced software being used by William Hill.