Evoke asks UK Treasury to halt further gambling tax hikes after shop closures

Evoke, a UK betting operator, has called on the government to refrain from imposing additional gambling taxes ahead of the autumn Budget, after it closed 270 shops in response to earlier duty hikes. The firm is in the process of being bought by Greek gambling company Bally’s Intralot in a deal valued at £243 million, expected to close by the end of the year. CEO Per Widerstrom said the business remains resilient but stresses that the shop closures underscore the real impact on employment and profitability.

Recent tax changes, introduced under former chancellor Rachel Reeves, raised remote gaming duty to 40% of profits and will add a 25% online sports betting duty from 2027, prompting the Treasury to consider raising machine-games duty. Competitor Flutter, which owns Paddy Power, announced a restructuring that will cut about 1,400 jobs in the UK and Ireland. Evoke reported third-quarter revenue of £406 million, down 7% from the previous year, with sales hampered by higher payouts at the start of the football season.