William Hill owner says it could shut shops if Reeves raises gambling taxes

The closures would amount to between 9% and 15% of William Hill’s chain of 1,300 betting shops. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

The debt-laden company behind William Hill is considering closing up to 200 betting shops if Rachel Reeves’s autumn budget raises taxes on the gambling sector.

Evoke, formerly known as 888, which acquired William Hill in a £2bn takeover in 2022, is drawing up plans for different scenarios before expected gambling tax increases in the chancellor’s budget on 26 November.