William Hill to Close Around 200 Betting Shops in the UK

Evoke is set to close around 200 William Hill betting shops in the UK, with the first closures due to start in May. The decision comes as the group deals with higher costs, a tougher tax environment, and a wider strategic review that could still lead to more changes across the business.

Good to Know

• Evoke plans to shut about 200 shops, or roughly 15% of its retail estate.
• The closure program starts in May.
• The wider strategic review could still include asset sales or other options.

Evoke Cuts Shops as Tax Pressure Builds

The operator told staff on Tuesday that around 200 retail sites will close permanently. Evoke later confirmed the plan and said the closures are part of a broader strategic review that has been running since December.

That review goes beyond shops alone. The group has been weighing a part sale, a full sale, and what it called a “range of potential alternatives.” So while the closure plan is now clear, the bigger outcome for the business still is not.

Pressure had been building for months. Before the autumn budget, retail betting operators warned that higher taxes could force shop closures. When Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed a sharp rise to Remote Gaming Duty and Remote Betting Duty, the threat became more immediate. Per Widerström, who was chief executive at the time, later confirmed in January that closures were coming.

One part of that tax change took effect today, while the Remote Betting Duty increase is due to start in April 2027.

Evoke runs about 1,300 betting shops across the UK, so the planned reduction is a meaningful cut to the William Hill retail network. The company said the stores picked for closure are no longer sustainable under current conditions.

In a statement shared with iGaming.org, Evoke said: “Following a thorough review and further to increased cost pressures on the regulated sector including significant tax increases announced by the government in last year’s autumn budget, from May we are closing a number of shops that are no longer sustainable.

“We are offering our full support to our retail colleagues who are affected by these closures.

“These decisions are never taken lightly, however in the face of rising cost pressures we must take action to ensure we can continue to invest in our core retail estate, with the right shops, in the right locations.”

Retail Betting Continues to Shrink

Evoke is not alone. Other major operators had already warned that the tax increase could hit retail estates across the market. Betfred and Entain were among the groups that raised concerns. Flutter also closed 57 shops in 2025 as land-based betting continued to weaken.

The post William Hill to Close Around 200 Betting Shops in the UK appeared first on iGaming.org.