William Hill, the betting giant owned by evoke PLC, has announced the closure of 13 markets worldwide. It follows Paddy Power, which last month announced it would be shutting down 57 high-street shops across the UK and Ireland.
The nations affected include Angola, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Vietnam.
William Hill is officially closing doors. It is the end of an era and a clear sign that legacy sportsbooks are failing.
They missed the shift to digitally native multi-taskers. @reloadergg is building specifically for this new generation. pic.twitter.com/krh515gaSY
— armin (@arminasg) November 20, 2025
William Hill closes 13 markets
The news was made as part of a release on the operator’s Terms and Conditions page, buried deep in the support and legal announcements.
It made clear the brand’s intention to cease offering its services from the 2nd of December 2025 and provided assurances, “Your balance is safe with us,” to those with open accounts in these locations.
“Until the 5th of January 2026, you’ll still be able to login to your account, which will allow you to withdraw your funds. After the 5th of January 2026, your login details will no longer work,” said the release.
Open bets, such as futures on a league winner or a competition outcome, will be settled up until the 2nd of December 2025.
The bookmaker stated that “Any bets that are due to be settled after the 2nd of December 2025 will be voided and refunded to your account.”
UK November budget and looming tax levies
The Labour Party’s looming November budget is an ominous portent for operators, with Rachel Reeves, the current UK Chancellor, hinting at a 50% increase in existing levies.
Betting names known globally may be tightening their belts ahead of these possible tax reforms in one of their busiest nations, and this will no doubt have a ripple effect on the likes of Evoke and their international holdings.
The betting brand has been analysing brick-and-mortar stores in the United Kingdom, where further budgetary constraints are likely to impact the company workforce.
As we reported, the historic British gambling name said it would be closing 1 in 10 of its stores across the UK, putting 1,500 jobs at risk and potentially 120-plus stores putting their shutters down for good.
ReadWrite has reached out to evoke plc for comment.
Featured image: William Hill
