William Hill owner makes last-minute plea to halt gambling tax rises after axing 270 shops
Evoke, owner of William Hill, urges the Chancellor to halt gambling tax rises after closing 270 shops.Summary
Evoke, the owner of William Hill and the 888 brand, has urged the Chancellor to halt planned gambling tax rises just days before the Budget. The company has been struggling since Rachel Reeves increased remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% and the online sports betting levy from 15% to 25%. CEO Per Widerström called on John Healey to carefully consider any further increases, fearing machine games duty could double to 40%. Evoke has closed 270 William Hill shops in the past year, citing the real impact on jobs and livelihoods. In the same week, Flutter, owner of Paddy Power and Sky Bet, announced plans to cut 1,400 jobs in the UK and Ireland, similarly blaming the tax raid. The Betting and Gaming Council estimates around 12,400 jobs have been lost or are at risk since last year's Budget. Bet365 plans to cut 300 jobs, and Betfred will close 132 shops, resulting in 600 job losses. Evoke reported a 7% drop in revenue, following an £80 million loss in the first half of 2026, and has accepted a £243 million takeover by Greek firm Bally's Intralot. Analyst Mark Crouch noted that rising duties are squeezing an industry already facing changing customer habits and profitability pressures.
(Source：Mail Online)