William Hill owner, Evoke, is working on plans to shutter up to 200 shops if the suspected new operator tax rules come to fruition. Evoke is also the owner of Mr.Green, and the 888 Casino ventures.
The conglomerate, formerly known as 888, expects to close between 120 and 200 retail premises – potentially impacting 1,500 domestic jobs. Word comes by way of a report in the Sunday Times, which outlined that around 9%-15% of Evoke’s 1,300 UK-based betting shops may be forced to discontinue operations.
Whether the London Stock Exchange-listed group follows through with the mooted decision to halt services depends on the results of this year’s autumn budget, set to be revealed on 26 November.
Should sitting Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves follow through with a promise to make gambling operators pay their “fair share”, Evoke may let go of staff across several William Hill ventures.
Government promises to increase operator tax before year ends
In September, Rachel Reeves promised to “make sure” that gambling companies increase tax contributions – a statement which turned the heads of leaders and operator shareholders across the board.
Already facing steep debt in the wake of its £2bn leveraged buyout of William Hill in 2022, Reeves’ comments were received coldly by Evoke higher-ups.
The organisation’s stock market value has dropped by over 35% since the start of 2024 – and retail performance is down by around 2% as of August 2025. Despite improving holistic financial performance, online and international products stand as Evoke’s central revenue drivers.
Perhaps most pertinent is that Evoke presides over £1.8bn in debt; a significant tax hike could destabilise the operator’s repayment strategy, culminating in the rumoured retail shutdown.
Precise figures for Labour’s tax increase have not yet been released – but a Social Market Foundation (SMF) study revealed that a surge from the current 21% levy to 50% for online casinos and 15% to 25% for sports betting would generate £3.2bn in national tax and bring an estimated 1.6m children out of poverty.
William Hill expected to confirm “difficult but necessary” shop closures
Evoke has been acutely aware of potential tax reform for operators for some time, with CFO Sean Wilkins warning the Government of negative ramifications should Labour expand gambling levies:
“If you increase tax beyond a certain point, this leads to black market growth. This would then lead to lower tax take and zero player protection, which is against the objective of the Government.”
Wilkins also touched on the fact that the gaming industry is an “easy target” for any government searching for a cash boost – but cited the need for a “balanced approach” if heightened charges are to be introduced.
In a more recent statement provided to the Sunday Times, an Evoke spokesperson branded the reported store shutterings as “difficult but necessary” measures:
“As a regulated and licensed UK operator, we are also mindful of potential tax increases in the forthcoming budget on top of the rising costs.
“As part of our ongoing planning, we are assessing the potential impact of different tax scenarios on our UK operations. This includes the difficult but necessary consideration for further shop closures.”
Attention now turns to 26 November – when Labour will detail any tax changes during its 2025 autumn budget.
