Betfred and Bally’s Consider Buying William Hill Shops in the UK

^{Pictured: Fred Done, founder of Betfred}

British bookmaker Betfred and U.S. gaming group Bally’s are considering a potential acquisition of William Hill’s retail betting shop network in the UK, Next.io reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the publication, the talks are at an early and preliminary stage. Any potential deal would be limited strictly to William Hill’s offline retail business, with the company’s online operations excluded from the discussions and considered separately.

The retail betting shops are owned by Evoke, which has come under significant financial pressure. A key issue is the group’s debt burden of around £2 billion (2,3 billion euro) , accumulated following Evoke’s acquisition of William Hill’s non-U.S. assets from Caesars Entertainment in 2022. The situation has been further complicated by upcoming increases in UK gambling taxes, which are expected to weigh on the economics of the retail betting sector.

Against this backdrop, Evoke launched a strategic review in December and signalled that it could sell certain assets.

Sources cited by Next.io said Betfred appears to be the most logical buyer, given its experience operating a large retail betting network and the potential for synergies, particularly in London and southeast England. However, they added that the company is unlikely to be willing to pay a premium for the asset.

Bally’s is also said to be showing interest in the potential deal, as industry sources note the group is exploring mergers and acquisitions in the UK amid rising tax pressure on the market.

Gambling Park previously reported that Betfred had acknowledged the possibility of closing its entire UK retail betting shop network in response to a sharp increase in tax costs.