William Hill to Exit 13 International Markets Amid Rising UK Tax Pressures and Regulatory Scrutiny

William Hill has announced via customer support that it will withdraw from several non-core markets across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, signaling a strategic retreat from regions deemed secondary to its core business. The bookmaker’s site lists 13 markets affected by the exit, with nine located in Africa—Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. Outside Africa, William Hill will leave Vietnam, a major but controversial Asian market, as well as Bolivia and Nicaragua in Latin America, the former being a grey-area jurisdiction for gaming and the latter legal and broadly regulated. The company confirmed that operations in all 13 markets will cease from 2 December 2025. While no specific reasons were provided for the withdrawals, broader political and economic pressures likely play a role.

A spokesperson for Evoke Plc, William Hill’s parent firm, explained, “On a periodic basis, we review the products we provide in markets across the world. In this instance, we have made the decision to close the William Hill, MRG and 888 brands in a selection of markets across Africa and Asia. Customers can still enjoy evoke’s brand 888Africa across Africa, which is not affected and continues to perform positively, and via 888.com in other markets.”

Observers suggest that the move may be linked to cost-cutting measures as William Hill braces for anticipated increases in UK taxation. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is expected to announce the UK budget imminently, addressing a multi-billion-pound shortfall in public finances. The government faces pressure from backbench MPs and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to raise gaming taxes to fund the scrapping of the two-child limit on childhood benefit allowances. Industry insiders widely expect Reeves to either merge three types of gaming duty—the 21% Remote Gaming Duty (RGD), General Betting Duty (GBD), and 15% Pool Betting Duty—into a single 21% rate, or to adopt a more aggressive approach, raising RGD to 40% and the Machine Games Duty (MGD) on slot machines from 20% to 50%.

Both scenarios could significantly impact William Hill, particularly the latter, which would affect online operations and FOBT revenue from over 1,300 betting shops, although sports betting revenue within those shops would be less affected. Evoke has already warned that a tax increase of this magnitude could result in the closure of hundreds of shops, echoing similar warnings from Betfred and Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes Coral. In this context, withdrawing from 13 minor international markets may be a strategic measure to shore up the company’s financial position in its UK heartland ahead of potential tax pressures. William Hill’s retail performance has been recovering domestically this year, and the firm is likely keen to preserve this trajectory amid looming fiscal challenges.

Another potential motivation for the withdrawals may be reputational management, limiting William Hill’s exposure in international grey and black markets while UK regulators intensify scrutiny of the sector. The legal status of gambling varies widely among the 13 jurisdictions. For instance, Angola permits and regulates gaming, whereas Somalia and Vietnam strictly prohibit it, except for foreigner-only casino resorts in the latter. In 2023, Evoke exited all grey jurisdictions after its 888 brand faced an investigation over illegal transactions with high-value Middle Eastern customers.

Other major operators have taken similar steps in recent years. Entain announced in January 2023 that it was accelerating withdrawals from grey markets and was instructed in December 2023 to further intensify these exits as part of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Bet365 likewise exited China, one of the world’s largest grey markets and historically a significant revenue generator, with a spokesperson telling SBC News that the company would “shortly cease operations in various jurisdictions including China.”

The timing of William Hill’s withdrawals also intersects with ongoing debates over UK gaming taxation. British bookmakers have repeatedly argued that black-market activity threatens the regulated sector, and continuing to operate in grey markets while making this claim could undermine their credibility. This tension may offer an additional explanation for William Hill’s decision to exit the 13 jurisdictions, balancing both financial prudence and reputational considerations.

By exiting these markets, William Hill appears to be aligning itself with a broader industry trend of consolidating focus on regulated, core markets while mitigating exposure to regions with legal uncertainty, economic volatility, or heightened reputational risk. The move demonstrates the interplay between domestic fiscal pressures and international market strategy, illustrating how UK tax policy and regulatory scrutiny can drive global operational decisions.

By fLEXI tEAM