Tom Waterhouse

Waterhouse was born in Sydney and educated at Shore, North Sydney. He received a Bachelor of Commerce & Liberal Studies at the University of Sydney, majoring in finance and marketing with the intention of working in finance.

Internet based business

In 2010 Waterhouse launched an online gambling business. The company was one of Australia's largest corporate bookmakers, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Darwin. They claim a client list of 100 "high-net-worth individuals" whose minimum bet is $1000. In this time, the company grew from a start-up with three people to over 100 and from less than 1,000 clients to approximately 250,000.

In August 2013 website was sold to the international betting giant William Hill (bookmaker) where Waterhouse then continued as Managing Director of TomWaterhouse.

In July 2014, Waterhouse became CEO of William Hill Australia operating the TomWaterhouse, Centrebet, Sportingbet, and William Hill brands operating from three countries with approximately 500 employees, one million clients, and over two billion dollars in turnover.

In May 2018, William Hill sold its Australian business, seeing Waterhouse to a two-year non-compete agreement. Leaving behind his career as a bookmaker, Tom Waterhouse took back control of his brand as a racing tipping service, which attempts to give subscribers and clients betting information, tips, and strategies to win.

In July 2020 Waterhouse launched a betting aggregator service the TomWaterhouse App. The aggregator will compare odds across several corporate bookmakers and allow customers to place bets with the wagering operator of their choice.

The first bookmaker in the family was Charles Waterhouse, who attained his licence in 1898. Waterhouse's maternal grandfather, T.J Smith was an Australian racehorse trainer. His mother, Gai Waterhouse (maiden name Gabriel Marie Smith) is a leading Australian horse trainer, businesswoman, and a former actress. Gai Waterhouse served an apprenticeship under her father for fifteen years before receiving her own trainer's licence.

Waterhouse's father, Robbie Waterhouse, and grandfather William "Bill" Waterhouse are also bookmakers. They have attracted controversy in the past including the loss of their bookmaker's licences for eighteen years (originally life bans) due to their involvement in the Fine Cotton substitution scandal in 1984.

Tom Waterhouse married wife Hoda Vakili in 2011, in the Italian town of Taormina. The couple met at Sydney University, where Vakili was studying her Master's in Architecture. Close friends for years, Vakili even worked at the track for Waterhouse for three years taking bets during her degree.