The owner of William Hill retail sportsbooks in the UK has warned that it could have to close up to 200 locations if a proposed tax rate hike comes into effect. Many lawmakers want Chancellor Rachel Reeves to merge three existing gambling-related taxes into a single Remote Betting & Gaming Duty (RBGD), a proposal that has been met with stiff resistance by the industry. She went on record at the end of September, essentially promising tax increases for the sector in next month’s budget announcement.
might have to shutter between 120 and 200 stores
Talking to The Sunday Times, an Evoke spokesperson explained that the company has looked at the potential knock-on impacts and fears it might have to shutter between 120 and 200 stores. They said that another consequence of the tax rise would be more consumers turning to black market online gambling sites.
Evoke, which also runs other gambling brands like 888 and Mr Green, controls around 1,300 physical William Hill sportsbooks across the UK. It bought these retail operations for £2bn ($2.7bn) in 2022.
Another major player in the region’s gambling sector has expressed similar concerns. Entain, which runs over 2,300 retail locations through brands like Ladbrokes and Coral, also said that closures would be an inevitability and that it would focus some of its resources on overseas investments.
