The operator behind William Hill, Evoke, has reported an increase in revenue just weeks after threatening to shut betting shops.
Evoke said it is making “good progress” in its turnaround efforts as sports betting helped push stronger revenues.
Shares in the gambling group moved higher in early trading as a result and shareholders were told revenues increased by 5% to £435 million over the third quarter of 2025 compared to the year prior.
Evoke, which also controls the 888 brand, said the news marked the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. The increase was helped by William Hill’s retail business of betting shops, which has returned to success.
Chief executive of Evoke, Per Widerstrom, said: “During Q3 we continued to execute against our strategy which is transforming our long-term competitive capabilities and building a more efficient and profitable business.”
Retail revenues grew by 6% over the quarter, largely attributed to the rollout of new gaming cabinets. Just two weeks ago, William Hill announced it was preparing to close up to 200 shops in the event of a widely expected gambling tax hike next month.
The Sunday Times reported that Evoke could cut its number of William Hill shops by around 120 to 200 – which amounts to between 9% and 15% of the company’s 1,300 betting shops with up to 1,500 jobs on the line.
Each betting shop typically employs between five and ten people. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing to harmonise online gambling tax into a single rate in her Autumn Budget, recently arguing that gambling operators “should pay their fair share.”
The UK industry is set for a major shake-up as betting sites would have to withdraw concessions and make prices less competitive in order to maintain their profit margin, which could send a large number of customers to the black market.
Recent analysis predicts the tax hike will cost up to 40,000 jobs, almost half the 109,000 people currently employed directly and indirectly by the industry.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
