Overview
- Evoke is assessing scenarios to shut roughly 9–15% of William Hill’s c.1,300 UK shops, with reports pointing to 120–200 possible closures and the company stressing no final decision.
- Up to about 1,500 jobs could be affected if closures proceed, with scale and timing contingent on outcomes from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s 26 November budget.
- The group reported a first‑half 2025 pre‑tax loss of about £78m and carries roughly £1.8bn of debt against a market value near £210m, intensifying pressure to cut costs.
- HM Treasury says its gambling tax consultation is focused on simplifying duties rather than setting new rates, even as industry players prepare for potentially higher overall liabilities.
- Executives and racing bodies warn tax hikes and shop losses could drive bettors to unlicensed operators and cut racing income, citing LBO contributions of ~£100m in media rights and ~£40m in levy and modelling of £66m–£160m annual losses under certain duty scenarios.