William Hill owner blames Man City dominance for revenue drop
The dominance of Manchester City and Arsenal football clubs at the summit of English football has dented earnings at the owner of gambling giant William Hill. Evoke reported that third quarter revenue was between one and two percentage points lower than it might have been because of a string of what it called “particularly customer-friendly [...]
William Hill, the gambling company, has reported a decline in earnings due to the dominance of Manchester City and Arsenal in English football. Evoke, the parent company of William Hill, revealed that the third quarter revenue was between one and two percentage points lower than expected, primarily because of favorable sports results at the beginning of the Premier League season.
Manchester City and Arsenal started the season exceptionally well, with only a three-point difference between them. Successful teams often result in higher betting activity, which poses a challenge for bookmakers, as most punters tend to wager on their favored outcomes. This favorable trend for the top teams compounded a seven percent drop in revenue from October to the end of the quarter, which Evoke attributed to the government's intervention in the gambling industry during the 2025 Budget.
The firm has closed over 270 high-street shops since the Treasury's announcement of a major overhaul, including nearly doubling the online gaming duty. After adjusting for store closures, revenue was down by two percent over the same period. Evoke's chief executive, Per Widerstrom, expressed concern over any further Budget raids, citing the impact of increased gaming duties on jobs and livelihoods.
He urged the UK government to carefully consider any further increases ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget. Evoke expects Chancellor John Healey to propose another round of tax hikes in the next fiscal statement, raising the duty on gaming machines at high-street betting shops by five percent. However, bookmakers have warned that such a significant increase could lead to further job losses and store closures, hindering the Prime Minister's efforts to revitalize UK high streets.
Earlier this month, several major players in the industry wrote to Healey, expressing their concerns that doubling the machines duty would result in nearly 1,500 betting shop closures and 15,900 job losses. Evoke's acquisition by Irish gambling giant Bally's Intralot, completed earlier this year for £400 million, is also on track.
The deal, which saw William Hill's share price drop over 90 percent over the past five years, is expected to close in early 2027.
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