William Hill Owner Pleads to Halt Gambling Tax Increases Ahead of Budget

The owner of the William Hill betting company has made a last-minute appeal to the Chancellor to halt planned tax increases on gambling firms, as the UK's Budget approaches. Evoke, which also operates the 888 brand, is facing significant financial pressure following recent tax hikes implemented by the government.

Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, previously increased the remote gaming duty from 21% to 40% and the levy on online sports betting from 15% to 25%. Per Widerström, CEO of Evoke, is now urging John Healey to "carefully consider any further increases" amid concerns that the tax on slot machines, known as machine games duty (MTD), could be doubled to 40% in the upcoming Budget.

Widerström stated that the existing tax increases have had a direct impact on the business, leading Evoke to sell the William Hill brand and close 270 shops over the past year. He emphasized that these actions demonstrate "the real impact on jobs and livelihoods from higher industry taxation."

This plea comes in the same week that Flutter, the owner of Paddy Power and Sky Bet, announced plans to cut 1,400 jobs in its UK and Ireland operations, also attributing the move to the government's gambling tax increases. Kevin Harrington, Flutter UK and Ireland boss, noted that the industry "cannot fully absorb a rise of this magnitude without reducing our fixed cost base," adding that the tax hikes have "fundamentally changed the economic model of the regulated betting and gaming industry in the UK."

These job cuts are expected to result in up to 550 redundancies in the UK and 240 in Ireland. Evoke and Flutter join a growing list of companies that have reported substantial job losses and revenue hits due to the tax changes. The Betting and Gaming Council estimates that approximately 12,400 jobs have been lost or are at risk in the sector since last year's Budget. Other firms, including Bet365 and Betfred, have also announced significant job cuts and shop closures.

Evoke reported a 7% drop in revenue for the recent period, or 2% on a like-for-like basis, partly due to "customer-friendly sports results" at the start of the football season. The company also incurred losses of £80 million in the first half of 2026, with an additional £46 million spent on gaming duties. Earlier this year, Evoke agreed to a £243 million takeover by Greek firm Bally's Intralot, a deal expected to be finalized by the end of March. The betting group had initially put itself up for sale in December, citing the tax changes as a contributing factor.

Mark Crouch, a market analyst at eToro, commented that rising gaming duties are placing pressure on an industry already contending with evolving customer behavior and profitability challenges. He noted that while Evoke's focus on taxation is understandable, the reduction in its physical retail presence also raises questions about the long-term viability of traditional bookmakers.