William Hill to shutter 200 shops in May, cites taxes

• Evoke’s William Hill has confirmed the closure of betting shops, citing tax reasons
• The company directly blamed the newly passed Autumn Budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves as the reason why
• In 2025, 13,000 betting shops were closed overall

It’s official - William Hill has confirmed that it will be shutting down 200 high street betting shops, citing concerns over the new tax increase affecting the gambling sector, and joins companies such as Betfred in embarking on a similar cost-trimming journey.

Retail betting shops are being culled under the new tax regime

The news came on Tuesday, March 31, with the company saying that 15% of its shops will be shuttered to handle the imminent increase in tax on online gambling to 40% from 21%. The sports betting tax will be increased to 25% from previously 15%.

Evoke, William Hill’s parent company, has not minced its words and attributed the closure to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’Autumn Budget. In a statement, the company specifically blamed the budget for its decision:

"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."

Despite the far-reaching closures, William Hill has said that it will continue to invest in its land-based operations and support its retail venues. The 200 shops that are now set to close come on top of the 13,000 shops that already closed down in 2025, with the number likely to increase in 2026.

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