CHUCK - In the world of Internet gambling it's sometimes difficult to tell if a casino is reputable or not. Obviously the William Hill name goes a long way to establishing consumer confidence. Can you tell us a little about William Hill and its history?

PHIL - The company was founded in England in 1934 and has over 65 years' experience of offering betting services -- through licensed betting offices, via the phone and, more recently, via the internet. Currently we operate over 1,500 licensed betting offices in the UK and employ 10,000 people. In addition, we have over 300,000 telephone clients worldwide, making us the world's largest telephone betting organization. The sportsbook site opened for business in 1998 for the World Cup and is now one of the world's leading online sportsbooks.

When did your casino site open?

The site was launched in November 1999 but the first real money wagers were on January 12th 2000.

Does William Hill operate any land-based casinos?

No we don't. The online casino is simply part of our internet gaming business strategy.

What are the most popular games at William Hill Casino?

The usuals: Blackjack, Roulette and Slots. However the multi-player games are also now becoming very popular. I think more people need to try the multi-player games -- our experience shows that once they do they seem to enjoy them.

Have you paid out any big jackpots yet?

Unfortunately for us, yes! But seriously we are very pleased to say that members are winning big at the casino.

Why did you decide to use casino software by Cryptologic instead of, say, Boss Media or Starnet?

Before we launched into this market we undertook a rigorous review of the whole marketplace and looked at all the software suppliers that are out there. We then drew up a shortlist and saw presentations from those companies we deemed to be the best ones. I have to say we saw some very good presentations from all the candidates but finally selected Cryptologic. I'm happy to say that having now worked with Cryptologic for the last few months I think we made a good choice.

Any plans to offer no-download or Java games in the future?

Our future offerings are always under consideration.

Do you offer any sign up bonuses or comps?

Our sign up bonus is a $25 match i.e. once a member deposits an initial $25 we'll then match that adding another $25 to his/her account. We also run a Comps Club scheme: Every William Hill Casino member is automatically enrolled in the Comp Club whereby they earn points with each bet they make, win or lose. Different games generate different amounts of points. For example, if you bet a total of $2,000 while playing Blackjack you earn 200 points, in Roulette a total bet of $2,000 will earn 600 points. Comp points accumulate each month, and are automatically credited to members' accounts on the 25th of each month on the basis of $1 for each 100 points. We also run regular additional competitions. Our last grand prize was a trip to London to stay at The Ritz Hotel for a week plus $1000 spending money.

Do you accept wagers from anywhere in the world? From England? From the United States?

At the present time we take wagers from all around the globe. However as you are fully aware the rules and regulations governing online gaming are being reviewed all the time. As these change, our policies will change to reflect them. We will always do our utmost to remain within the boundaries of the law.

What do you think the future holds for online gambling?

A lot will depend on which way certain key administrations around the world go in terms of regulation and prohibition. Having said that, the Internet is a wonderful thing; it's constantly evolving and in its simplest form gives millions around the world access to information, including ways to gamble. I do not believe you can truly control the Internet or the way people use it and if the world wants to gamble online, it will.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about William Hill Casino?

My aim is to make William Hill Casino the undisputed market leader in online casinos. In order to do this we need to get our message over to as many people as possible. Our message is simple: William Hill Casino offers the most reliable, most trusted, most exciting online casino experience to all online gamers, whatever their experience, through leading edge software, 24/7 customer support, innovative promotions and 65 years of gambling experience.