Evoke’s Q3 Dip Shows the Tax Toll on 888 and William Hill
Evoke, the company behind 888casino, William Hill and Mr Green, has used its Q3 trading update to put a number on what higher UK gambling duties are costing the business: 270 fewer betting shops on the high street and a 7% dent in group revenue. For a group whose online casino arm sits at the centre of its future plans, the figures offer a clear read on how much headroom UK operators have left to invest in their digital products.
What’s been released
The London-listed group set out the numbers in its Q3 2026 trading update on October 23, 2026.
Evoke, the owner of William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, reported third-quarter revenue of £406 million, down 7% on a reported basis.
On a like-for-like, constant-currency basis, excluding the effect of the closed shops, revenue fell 2%.
The operator closed approximately 70 betting shops during the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by another 200 William Hill locations from May 24, 2026.
The shop closures took place following the impact of this year’s rise in the UK’s online gambling tax rate from 21 per cent to 40 per cent.
The report lands as the group continues working towards its sale:
evoke said its planned acquisition by Bally’s Intralot remains on track for completion at the end of Q4 or the start of Q1 2027.
What’s changed
Evoke said customer-friendly results at the start of the football season took roughly 1 to 2 percentage points off year-on-year growth.
Stripping that out, the company described revenue as broadly stable on a normalised basis.
That distinction matters for anyone tracking the health of 888casino and William Hill’s online offering specifically, since it suggests the underlying digital business is holding up even as the retail estate shrinks around it.
CEO Per Widerström used the update to press the government on tax policy ahead of the Budget.
He said the underlying business continues to show resilience, reflecting continued emphasis on profitability and cash generation following substantial increases in gaming duties, and that the closure of 270 shops over the past year shows the real impact on jobs and livelihoods from higher industry taxation.
He urged the government to “consider” any further tax increases, amid reports that Machine Games Duty will rise to 25 per cent.
Where it fits
For a site that tracks the games side of the UK market, this update is a reminder of the financial backdrop against which product decisions get made.
888casino offers casino games including slots, table games, live dealer games and bingo, operating under licences from the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, with software providers including NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech and Evolution Gaming.
A squeezed retail arm and a tightening tax regime don’t change what’s in that lobby overnight, but they do shape how much an operator the size of evoke can put behind exclusive content, app updates or new studio deals while it also manages a pending ownership change.
The Bally’s Intralot takeover adds a further layer of uncertainty worth watching for UK players attached to the William Hill or 888 brands: once the deal closes, product roadmaps, platform migrations and studio partnerships at these sites could shift under new ownership. For now, the Q3 numbers suggest the digital side of the business is steadier than the retail headlines imply, even as evoke makes its case to the Treasury that further duty rises would squeeze it further.
Sources
- Gambling.com – William Hill Owner Evoke Reports 7% Q3 Revenue Fall As Shops Close
- InterGame – Q3 revenue down for evoke as Widerström makes betting shop case
- iGaming Future – evoke Q3 Revenue Falls 7% to £406m
- Gambling News – Evoke Posts Trading Update, Highlights 7% Drop in Q3 Revenue
- iGaming Business – Evoke blames tax rises for 270 shop closures as revenue falls 7%
- SBC News – evoke reveals retail estate scars ahead of tax judgement
- World Casino Directory – Evoke Q3 Revenue Falls 7% Amid UK Betting Shop Closures
