Major UK high street chain to close 270 shops - in business since 1934
William Hill has announced the closure of 270 betting shops across the UK after posting losses of £220million. The owner of the well-known bookmaker revealed last week that it is in discussions regarding a potential £225.3 million takeover by Greek lottery and gaming company Bally's Intralot.William Hill and 888 owner Evoke has confirmed approximately 270 high street outlets are set to shut as it seeks to cushion the blow from rising taxes, amid ongoing negotiations over a £225.3 million takeover of the group.The gambling giant stated it had identified the sites for closure following a review of its estate, as it disclosed pre-tax losses more than doubled to £549.1 million in 2025, up from £220.9 million in 2024, largely attributed to UK tax increases.The shop closures are anticipated to result in hundreds of redundancies, though Evoke has yet to confirm exactly how many jobs are at risk.This follows Evoke's announcement last week that it was in talks over a potential acquisition by Greek lottery and gaming firm Bally's Intralot, in a deal valuing the UK betting group at £225.3 million.Evoke effectively placed itself on the market late last year when it launched a strategic review, as it battles under the weight of mounting debts and spiralling costs following November's betting tax rise.The company announced in January it would be shutting betting shops and slashing costs to counteract an anticipated rise in duty costs of up to £135 million per year from 2027, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled tax hikes for online gambling firms in the 2025 autumn budget. In the Budget, Ms Reeves increased remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% from April.A new online sports betting duty of 25% will also be introduced, covering all sports except horse racing, from 2027.Evoke revealed it slipped further into the red last year, largely due to a £440.3 million impairment charge, reflecting the gambling duty increase.Per Widerstrom, chief executive of Evoke, said: "The significant UK duty increases announced in November represented a fundamental shift in the economics of our largest market and will have a substantial impact across the regulated industry."We have acted decisively to mitigate the impact of these changes and protect long-term shareholder value, including initiating a strategic review and implementing significant operational actions across the business."
