Evoke, the company that owns William Hill, is evaluating plans to potentially close between 120 and 200 betting shops if the upcoming autumn budget proposes tax increases for the gambling sector. This evaluation comes after Evoke, formerly known as 888, acquired William Hill for £2 billion in 2022 and is grappling with a considerable debt of £1.8 billion. The company reported a pre-tax loss of nearly £78 million in the first half of the year.
William Hill currently operates approximately 1,300 betting shops, and shop closures could impact between 9% and 15% of its locations, affecting up to 1,500 jobs. Each betting shop typically employs five to ten staff members. Evoke, which also owns the 888 and Mr Green brands, employs a total of 10,000 staff across all its operations.
According to a spokesperson for Evoke, potential tax increases could have a significant impact on investments in the UK and may drive customers toward unregulated markets. The spokesperson emphasized that the company is actively assessing varying tax scenarios as part of its operational planning, including the difficult decision of shop closures, although no final decision has been made yet.
This situation reflects wider concerns in the gambling industry, as other companies similarly voice apprehensions about the implications of increased taxation. For instance, Stella David, CEO of Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, has expressed that higher taxes could result in shop closures and a shift of investments overseas.
The UK government has been consulting on gambling taxation, aiming to simplify the rates of duty applied to various gambling products, a move that the industry fears could lead to an overall higher tax burden. A Treasury spokesperson clarified that consultations are focused on regulatory improvements rather than definitive tax rate changes.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/12/william-hill-owner-could-shut-shops-if-reeves-raises-gambling-taxes