Evoke, the owner of William Hill and 888, has confirmed it will close around 270 betting shops as it seeks to offset the impact of higher taxes, even as it engages in talks over a potential £225.3 million takeover by Greek lottery and gaming firm Bally’s Intralot.
The debt-laden gambling company stated that it had identified these sites for closure following a review of its estate. This move comes as Evoke revealed that its pre-tax losses more than doubled to £549.1 million in 2025, up from £220.9 million in 2024, largely driven by UK tax increases.
The shop closures are expected to result in hundreds of job losses, though Evoke has not yet specified how many positions are at risk.
This development follows Evoke’s announcement last week that it was in discussions regarding a potential takeover by Bally’s Intralot, a deal that would value the UK betting group at £225.3 million.
Evoke effectively put itself up for sale late last year when it initiated a strategic review, as it struggles under mounting debts and the soaring costs of the betting tax hike announced in last November’s budget.
The firm had already announced in January that it would be closing betting shops and cutting costs to offset an expected increase in duty costs of up to £135 million per year from 2027. This follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to raise taxes on online gambling firms in the 2025 autumn budget.
In that budget, Ms Reeves increased remote gaming duty from 21 per cent to 40 per cent, effective from April. Additionally, a new online sports betting duty of 25 per cent will be introduced from 2027, covering all sports except horse racing.
Evoke reported that it fell deeper into the red last year, primarily due to a £440.3 million impairment charge reflecting the gambling duty hike.
Per Widerstrom, chief executive of Evoke, commented: “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.”
Bally’s Intralot was formed last year through the merger of Greek lottery firm Intralot and US casino operator Bally’s Corporation. Notably, Bally’s Corporation is the front-of-shirt sponsor for Nottingham Forest Football Club.
