‘Jobs killer’: Gambling industry lashes out at Healey betting tax raid Sport Business After the Chancellor announced a tax hike for the gambling and betting sector, Saskia Koopman dissected the industry reaction Machine Games Duty (MGD) will rise from 20 to 25 per cent in April 2027, below the 40 per cent demanded by campaigners and some Labour MPs. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warned that almost [...]
Doubts over £458m gambling tax plan emerge days before Budget Betting A week before the Budget, questions have emerged about the evidence behind a proposed £458m gambling tax rise, after internal comments revealed doubts among the campaigners that were pushing for the increase. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) told City AM that the comments, which appeared in a draft report by the Social Market Foundation [...]
William Hill owner blames Man City dominance for revenue drop Betting 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 [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 slides as oil surges to five-month high October 23, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. It’s Friday morning and London’s blue-chip index is set for a flat open as pressures on markets persist. The price of a barrel of oil has surged to $114 per barrel, trading at its highest level in over five months. It follows escalating Houthi attacks on [...]
William Hill owner Evoke shares rocket as it braces for £243m takeover from Bally’s Intralot June 5, 2026 Betting group Evoke shares rocketed in early morning trading, after gambling firm Bally’s Intralot on the terms and conditions for a takeover, as UK businesses brace for an online gambling tax hike. Shares soared 16.2 per cent to 46.4 pence per share, with shares up 24.2 per cent since January. The Greek company’s board has [...]
Bank of England Live: Interest rates held as hawks warn of ‘highly uncertain’ energy prices April 30, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today decided to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent in a hawkish display. In last month’s decision, the Bank held rates in a unanimous decision. Afterwards, short-term gilt yields, which reflect government borrowing costs, sharply rose as traders priced [...]
William Hill-owner Evoke mulls sale after Budget raid December 10, 2025 William Hill-owner Evoke is considering whether to sell itself or break up parts of its business in response to the government’s multibillion pound raid on gambling firms at last month’s Budget. The betting giant, which also owns the 888 brands and Mr Green online casino, told investors that it had kicked off a strategic review [...]
William Hill could close 200 betting shops as gambling industry faces mounting tax pressure October 12, 2025 William Hill is eyeing shutting 200 of its UK betting shops as parent company Evoke looks to steady its heavily indebted balance sheet ahead of a potential tax raid in next month’s budget. The move comes as the Gambling Commission and Treasury consider tougher rules and levies for the gambling sector, which has already been [...]
Football stakes in UK down since Euros as Premier League returns August 14, 2025 William Hill parent company Evoke says it has seen lower football staking volumes in the United Kingdom and Ireland since Euro 2024. The company earlier today released their H1 interim results, which show a £588.4m revenue in the UK and Ireland for the first half of the year – a 1.4 per cent decrease compared to [...]
Evoke: Revenue ticks up as group expects momentum to build through 2025 April 25, 2025 Betting and gaming company Evoke has reported a slight uptick in revenue and said it expects a return to stronger growth from the second quarter onwards. Revenue was £437m in the first quarter of 2025, in line with guidance and up one per cent year on year. UK revenue dipped one per cent, with three per [...]