William Hill will set up a website this week in Antigua, so that British punters can avoid paying nine per cent tax on winnings UK bookmaker Gamblers can even bet on the National Lottery ,which is currently illegal in the UK. Alongside Willhill.co.uk will be a telephone service run from Athlone, Ireland offering a three per cent discount on taxes. The company told the BBC: "We have taken this step because our case for reducing betting duty in the UK has as yet gone unanswered by the government. We cannot afford to stand by and see our business ebb away." Chancellor Gordon Brown said he may use the next Budget to close the loopholes in the law regarding offshore betting to protect its tax base. In the November Pre-budget report, the Chancellor emphasised that the government would reinforce an advertising ban on offshore bookmakers. ®