William Hill is set to close around 270 betting shops across the UK, its owner Evoke has confirmed. The move is intended to offset the impact of higher taxes amid ongoing talks over a £225.3 million takeover of the group.
Financial Struggles and Strategic Review
The decision follows a review of the company's estate, which revealed that pre-tax losses more than doubled to £549.1 million in 2025, up from £220.9 million in 2024. If these locations shut down, hundreds of jobs would be at risk.
Per Widerstrom, chief executive of Evoke, said: “The significant UK duty increases announced in November represented a fundamental shift in the economics of our largest market and will have a substantial impact across the regulated industry. We have acted decisively to mitigate the impact of these changes and protect long-term shareholder value, including initiating a strategic review and implementing significant operational actions across the business.”
Criticism of Tax Hikes
Evoke has not confirmed how many jobs are at risk. Speaking before Christmas, Widerstrom criticised the Chancellor for her “highly damaging” tax rises. He said at the time: “These proposals are ill-thought-through, counterproductive, and highly damaging. It is clear these changes will significantly harm businesses, employees, and customers.”
Meg Hillier, chair of the Treasury select committee, said the Chancellor had rightly refused to bow to industry “scaremongering”, something her committee had accused lobbyists of in a report earlier this month. “Some parts of the gambling industry, such as racecourses and bingo halls, make a cultural contribution to our country,” she said. “This is not the case, though, for online slots and other remote gaming, which can quickly drain the bank balances of vulnerable people after just a few clicks of a button on a phone. It’s reassuring to see that the chancellor agrees with us on this and I look forward to discussing it further with her when she appears in front of us in December.”
