William Hill to close 200 high street stores in weeks as betting firm blames ‘significant tax increases’ under Labour
William Hill has announced it will close 200 high street stores just months after the Labor government’s ‘hugely damaging’ gambling tax increases.
The bookmaker said on Tuesday that 15 per cent of its outlets would close within weeks in the latest blow to the British high street.
The move comes just months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided to almost double the online gambling tax from 21 per cent to 40 per cent and increase sports betting from 15 per cent to 25 per cent.
His announcement was criticized by influential figures in the industry, with some describing it as ‘utterly appalling’ and a ‘devastating hammer blow’.
And William Hill’s parent company, Evoke, directly blamed the tax increase for Reeves’ decision to close stores in a statement released today.
It said: ‘Following a comprehensive review and also following increasing cost pressures on the regulated sector, including significant tax increases announced by the Government in last year’s Autumn Budget, we are closing a number of stores that are no longer sustainable from May.
‘We offer our full support to our retail colleagues affected by these closures.
‘These decisions are never taken lightly, but in the face of increasing cost pressures we must take action to ensure we can continue to invest in our core retail footprint with the right stores and in the right locations.’
William Hill has announced it will close 200 high street stores just months after the Labor government’s ‘hugely damaging’ gambling tax increases
Justifying his decision in the budget, Reeves said he targeted the sector because it was “associated with the highest levels of harm”.
However, the Chancellor did not increase the machine gaming tax on profits from slot machines, which has also been linked to gambling addiction.
Britain’s high street has reached a crisis point. More than 13,000 stores closed last year and experts warn that figure could rise in 2026.
News of William Hill’s impending closure comes after many other stores announced they would be closing their doors altogether.
GAME, which once boasted nearly 300 outlets across the country, recently announced that its last three stores will cease trading in April 2026. The stores that have closed are in Dudley, Lancaster and Sutton.
Meanwhile, fashion chain River Island closed 27 stores earlier this year as its presence on the high street continued to decline.
