The head of William Hill’s parent company has warned that thousands of UK jobs are now at risk, after the Chancellor announced a sharp rise in gambling taxes that will almost double the levy paid on online gaming.
Shares in Evoke, which owns William Hill, fell by up to 8% to a record low following Rachel Reeves’s decision to increase the online gaming duty from 21% to 40%, in one of the steepest tax hikes of the Budget. At the same time, the levy on online sports betting will rise from 15% to 25%, while the rate for betting shops remains unchanged at 15%.
Per Widerström, chief executive of Evoke, said the company would have no choice but to make deep cuts to investment and staffing in its UK operations, which include around 1,300 high-street betting shops.
“We will begin immediately on executing our mitigation plans, which involve a significant reduction in investment into the UK,” he said. “And, very regrettably, the likely need for thousands of jobs to be cut up and down the country.”
The warning reflects growing alarm across the gambling industry, where operators say the scale of the tax increase threatens profitability, investment and the viability of large segments of the market.
Evoke had already faced pressure from higher regulatory costs and reduced consumer spending, but the Chancellor’s move — designed to raise billions in additional revenue — has intensified concerns about job security across retail betting and online gaming divisions.
Analysts said other operators may now follow Evoke in slashing UK expenditure or shifting future investment overseas, particularly as the online gaming sector accounts for a large share of total industry tax receipts.
The Treasury has defended the tax rise as a move to ensure “fairer contribution” from digital betting platforms, but industry leaders argue the sudden jump risks accelerating shop closures and job losses across the UK’s high streets.