William Hill is set to close around 200 shops across the UK after parent company Evoke completed what it described as a “thorough review” of the business.
The bookmaker said the closures will begin from May, with the group blaming mounting pressure on the regulated gambling market and the impact of tax changes announced in last year’s Autumn Budget.
An Evoke spokesperson 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.”
The move had been expected. In January, Evoke confirmed that some William Hill shops would close, though it had not put a firm number on the programme at the time. That figure is now understood to be around 200 sites.
With William Hill operating roughly 1,300 shops in the UK, the closures would amount to around 15 per cent of its estate.
The decision comes as the wider retail betting market faces an increasingly difficult trading environment.
High street bookmakers have been grappling with falling footfall, regulatory scrutiny and rising operating costs for several years, while further tax pressure has added to concerns over the long-term sustainability of some stores.
Between October and December, gross gambling yield from high street betting shops fell seven per cent year on year to £549m, even before the latest round of cost increases takes effect.
William Hill is far from alone in shrinking its estate.
Entain-owned Ladbrokes has shuttered a number of locations over the past couple of years, while Paddy Power also confirmed widespread closures across the UK and Ireland last year. Others, however, are still investing in physical retail, with BoyleSports opening several new shops since 2022.
The closures come at a particularly sensitive time for Evoke, which is also delaying the release of its FY25 results until 29 April while it continues a broader strategic review of the business.
That review was first announced in December 2025, shortly after Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the Autumn Budget, and prompted fresh speculation about Evoke’s future direction. At the time, the company said the process could result in a potential sale of the group or parts of its business.
Since then, pressure on the business has only intensified. Evoke’s share price has fallen by more than 28 per cent over the past 12 months to 34.05p, leaving the group with a market capitalisation of just over £150m.
The company has also been the subject of growing market speculation, with rumours linking both Bally’s and Betfred to a potential move for the business.
Adding to the sense of uncertainty, Ironshield Capital Management disclosed a 6.07 per cent stake in Evoke this week.
The investment firm describes itself as a specialist in stressed and distressed event-driven credit situations in Europe, a development that is likely to further fuel questions over the group’s future.
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