William Hill Closes 200 Betting Shops, Blames UK Tax Rises

The owner of William Hill plans to shutter about 200 betting shops in the UK, putting a significant number of jobs at risk, following a crackdown on the gambling sector by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.

Evoke Plc will permanently close the stores from May, the operator confirmed in a statement following a Bloomberg News inquiry, citing tax rises due to come into effect from April. The company has about 1,300 shops.