William Hill Online Affiliate Program: Exclusive Interview

We recently spoke David Bazak of William Hill Online regarding the current state of the brand’s affiliate program, including what happened to CPays, what to expect in 2012 and how to get your payments resolved.
David, thanks for taking our interview.  Could you please start out by telling us what your role is at WHO currently and what you’ve been brought in to do for the affiliate program?
I am the Head of Affiliation for the U.K and all International English speaking countries.
What do the major events experienced at William Hill Online over the last two months mean for affiliates?
The experience over the last 2 months can only mean good things for affiliates from here on in. To start with William Hill Online is committed to making business with Affiliates as smooth running and transparent as possible. From an Affiliation point of view, changes at the senior management level and the re-structuring of the department means any issues, requests or problems that occur can be dealt with a lot quicker.
What happened to CPays? Do you see a possible resurrection for the program in the future?
CPays is no longer part of the equation and has not been for some years now. If you are referring to certain members of senior management that are no longer with the company, then I really cannot comment other than they’re ambitious, innovative guys to whom I wish the best of luck in the future.
Does WHO plan on resolving any outstanding issues with its affiliates?
William Hill Online has always been open to resolving issues with Affiliates. This is not something that has come about now. I have always stressed that if an affiliate has any issues whatsoever, he should come to me and we will find a way to resolve it together.
Who is entitled to getting these types of settlements?
Anyone that believes they have a grievance.
How do you plan on assuring new or current affiliates that WHO is safe and trustworthy in light of recent events?
William Hill is more than just an organization in the United Kingdom—it’s an institution. We pride ourselves on being one of the best and most trustworthy in the industry which is why Affiliates should not worry about doing business with us. We have a reputation to protect and uphold and it’s important not only to us but to our shareholders to that we maintain this reputation. We have been around for 75 years and are not going anywhere; how many gaming companies can boast that?
Can you comment about what exactly happened with the WHO Tel Aviv office in October?
I think the important thing here is to emphasize that we are back to business as usual and not dwell on what might or might not have happened.
Does WHO plan on restructuring its management team in the near future?
There have been some small elements of restructuring already, but l must stress that all the staff were so keen to get back to business that everything pretty much fell into place.
Where do you see William Hill Online in one year? How do you get from here to there?
William Hill Online will grow now more than ever before. This is a very important year coming up what with the Euro’s, Olympics and of course all the regular major sporting events. Our mobile product is now working well and we are striving to be leaders in this field in the coming months. We are applying for more and more licenses in Regulated markets and intend on massive growth in the non-regulated markets. We will be constantly adding new games and products to our already wide selection.
We also have teams of technologically-innovative staff looking to push and develop our products and services to a wider range of customers than ever before. We will also be looking to grow our already extensive Affiliate team to enable us to give a more personal touch, catering to each affiliate’s specific needs.
Is there any part of the WHO affiliate program that you do not plan on transitioning into 2012?
One thing is for sure: this is a new, exciting beginning for all of us at WHO. At this stage we are only looking to grow and progress in all ways possible and as far I am aware there are no plans to discontinue any part of the business. I will say I am of the opinion that if something is not truly broken there is no need to fix it, especially during an important year like this.
Why, in your opinion, is the WHO affiliate program still the best program out there?
Let me start by saying thank you for suggesting we were the best Program out there.  I completely agree with you and can tell you why. Firstly as things stand, we have taken all the best parts of the business from all sides, both British and Israeli, and have unified them to make what we believe will be the strongest Affiliate Program not only in the short term but for years to come. William Hill Online have been listening for some time to what their customers have had to say and because of this we know what is needed to fulfill everyone’s needs.
We also have the market capital and knowledge to make sure all these things are implemented. William Hill Online Operations is the leader in its field, not only in the U.K but also in the rest of Europe.
Whilst we are a big company, we like to feel that we are very approachable and I am always happy to hear ways in which Affiliates feel we can improve.  Feel free to contact me personally at my email address David.bazak@williamhill.com and I will do my best to help you.