William Hill owner to close 270 shops despite takeover talks
Evoke, the owner of William Hill and 888, plans to close around 270 betting shops amid ongoing takeover talks with Greek gaming firm Bally’s Intralot. The closures are a response to increased UK gambling taxes, which have significantly impacted the company's financial performance. The move is expected to result in hundreds of job losses, though exact numbers have not been confirmed.
- ▪Evoke confirmed the closure of approximately 270 betting shops as part of cost-cutting measures.
- ▪The company reported pre-tax losses of £549.1 million in 2025, more than double the previous year's losses, largely due to UK tax hikes.
- ▪Evoke is in talks over a potential £225.3 million takeover by Greek firm Bally’s Intralot.
- ▪The UK government increased remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% and introduced a new 25% online sports betting duty effective from 2027.
- ▪The shop closures follow a strategic review launched by Evoke as it faces mounting debt and rising operational costs.
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NewsBusinessWilliam Hill owner to close 270 shops despite takeover talksEvoke last week said it was in talks over a potential £225.3 million takeover by Greek lottery and gaming firm Bally’s Intralot.Holly Williams Thursday 30 April 2026 11:54 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2967963To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/william-hill-shops-closing-evoke-bally-b2967996.html","title":"William Hill owner to close hundreds of shops despite takeover talks"}}Rachel Reeves admits too many leaks were ‘very damaging’ for…
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