William Hill ‘may close up to 200 shops’ as Rachel Reeves’ budget looms | UK | News
Britain’s high street betting landscape looks set for a major shake-up as the parent company of one of the country’s biggest betting companies is considering closing up to 200 betting shops. William Hill parent company Evoke is reportedly preparing to massively reduce its presence on the high street, with plans to close around one in 10 betting shops as it faces financial distress and looming tax pressures. Evoke bought William Hill for £2bn in 2022, sources close to the company said. Times It said it was currently considering options to close up to 120 to 200 betting shops across the UK.
This would represent 9% to 15% of the bookmaker’s approximately 1,300 locations and put up to 1,500 jobs at risk. Although the closures and their number have not been confirmed, they will take place as part of a strategic review of the retail footprint, particularly ahead of expected increases in gambling tax in Rachel Reeves’ budget on 26 November.
Evoke said it was actively reviewing its store portfolio to align with the company’s broader goal of sustainable, profitable growth, but emphasized that no final decision had been made yet.
The main driver behind Evoke’s planning is the expectation of new gambling tax increases in the November budget.
Company leaders have warned that higher taxes could hamper profitability, deter investment in the UK and potentially push gamblers towards unregulated platforms.
Evoke executives are reportedly modeling different tax scenarios to determine whether store closures are inevitable.
A spokesman for Evoke said: “We are aware of potential tax increases in the next budget which will impact investment in the UK and attract more customers into the black market.
“As part of our ongoing planning, we are assessing the potential impact of different general tax scenarios on our UK operations. This includes the difficult but necessary consideration of store closures.”
The company is under serious financial stress. Evoke carries a debt load of around £1.8bn, the bulk of which stems from the acquisition of William Hill. It reported a pre-tax loss of around £78 million in the first half of 2025.
Retail revenues also decreased by around 2% during this period. In March Evoke announced it was planning cost-cutting measures of between £15 million and £25 million for the year.
Stella David, Chief Executive of Entain, which owns Ladbrokes and Coral, also highlighted the impact of tax increases on the industry, saying they could lead to the closure of betting shops and potentially harm UK investment.
