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The gambling group behind William Hill is planning to shut around one in ten of its betting shops across the UK in 2026.
Evoke plc, which bought William Hill for 32 billion in 2022, is reportedly planning to close roughly one in ten of the chain’s betting shops in the new year. Even though the company saw a 3% rise in revenue in the first half of this year, it is facing heavy debts of £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) against a market value of roughly £210 million ($280 million), while also preparing for expected tax rises following the Autumn Budget.
The exact number of stores set to close has not yet been confirmed, but The Times reports that one source claimed 120 of William Hill’s roughly 1,300 locations will be closed for good, while another put the number closer to 200. If the latter is true, that would result in a loss of around 1,500 jobs.
William Hill and beyond its betting shops
The news comes at a troubled moment for the UK gambling industry, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to increase taxes in the Autumn Budget, following major pressure from MPs. For evoke plc in particular, the company’s share price has fallen by almost 30% over the past 12 months, while falling more than 83% over the past five years. Much of the debt noted above came about from the purchase of William Hill in 2022.
The exact number of closures and the extent of action taken by evoke plc will seemingly depend on Reeves’ budget, due to be announced on November 26. A spokesman for evoke told The Times that the company was “continuously reviewing and adapting our shop portfolio to ensure it aligns with our long-term strategy for sustainable, profitable growth,” while evaluating different scenarios ahead of the budget announcement.
“As a regulated and licensed UK operator, we are also mindful of potential tax increases in the forthcoming budget on top of the rising costs,” said the spokesperson. “As part of our ongoing planning, we are assessing the potential impact of different tax scenarios on our UK operations. This includes the difficult but necessary consideration for further shop closures.”
ReadWrite has contacted the press office at evoke plc for further comment.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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California tribes have been blocked from suing cardrooms over exclusive rights to run such events in the state in the latest courtroom step.
The tribes in California have faced obstacle after obstacle in trying to block the cardrooms industry across the state. The tribal groups claim that they should be able to press litigation challenging games offered at cardrooms, arguing that they should have exclusive rights.
While the motion made it to court, Sacramento State Superior Court Judge Lauri A. Damrell ruled that the bill the tribes used to bring their lawsuit into court was preempted by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), leaving her “bound by law”.
“The court is mindful that previous efforts to resolve this longstanding dispute, whether through regulatory action, legislation, ballot initiatives, or litigation, have been unavailing,” Damrell stated in her ruling. She went on to “recognize the genuine desire, shared by many stakeholders, including the California Legislature, to reach the merits and achieve a final resolution.”
The California Gaming Association released this statement via Munger, Tolles & Olson: “Cardrooms for many decades have proudly operated lawful games with full transparency and stringent oversight by the office of the Attorney General of the State of California and the California Gambling Control Commission.
“We are encouraged by today’s decision. Our member cardrooms will continue to support good jobs, vital public services, and local economies across California while upholding the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and compliance.”
What are cardrooms?
Cardrooms refer to Vegas-style gambling rooms, often set aside for private games attached to wider gambling or poker establishments. They can be either standalone businesses licensed for card games or parts of larger businesses that are used for private, offshoot games.
The California tribes argue that it was established by vote in California that they have exclusive rights to host table games. They claim that this income is protected as an avenue for revenue to support their historically disenfranchised communities.
Featured image: Pexels
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The SGLA has criticized Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of AB 831 into law, essentially banning online social games with sweepstakes promotions in California. The state is following in the footsteps of Montana and New Jersey, despite opposition from California tribal nations and other relevant groups.
That includes tribes like Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation, the Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians, the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria, and Big Lagoon Rancheria. They argue that the legislation will limit economic opportunities available to tribes that don’t have the same backing and resources that the wealthier gaming tribes do.
The SGLA also cited research from Eilers & Krejcik that estimated AB 831 would immediately eliminate $1 billion from California’s annual economy, with the state reportedly losing out on at least $200-$300 million in taxes each year.

If Governor Newsom signs AB 831 into law, online social games with sweepstakes promotions will be banned in the state of California, taking along $1 billion in contributions to the state.
Californians must act TODAY. Tell Governor Newsom to VETO AB 831: https://t.co/EIxBJON0hH pic.twitter.com/C15gPFpOrz
— Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) (@SGLeadership) October 10, 2025

“Voters, players who love online social games, California tribes, and online social games operators all made their position clear: they didn’t want a ban on this popular, safe form of entertainment,” said Jeff Duncan, Executive Director of SGLA.
“We hoped that Governor Newsom would see past the anti-competitive efforts of the powerful, well-funded tribes behind this bill and veto AB 831, but he chose the easy, short-sighted path and turned his back on choice, innovation and economic gains.”
Sweepstakes stance of Gavin Newsom criticized
As well as the direct impact on the economy and the tribes, the SGLA went on to argue that the bill itself was “poorly designed”, with “zero industry consultation and was backed by conflicted proponents”. The organization pointed to a nationwide poll with an oversized sample of California voters as proof that the people of the state don’t want the ban.
It cited that 85% of California voters agreed the state should modernize and update laws to regulate and tax online social gaming, which is not in line with the outright ban that has been passed. The SGLA stated that it would continue to promote “sensible regulatory frameworks” in line with voter demands, economic growth, and with a view of protecting consumer rights.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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