Manchester City and Arsenal Victories Hit William Hill Owner’s Revenue

^{Evoke CEO Per Widerström}

Punter-friendly football results at the start of the new season have weighed on revenue at Evoke, the gambling group behind William Hill. According to its latest trading update, third-quarter revenue fell 7% year-on-year to £406 million (approximately $540 million).

According to City A.M., Manchester City and Arsenal’s strong start to the season was among the factors that hurt the bookmaker’s financial results.

Both clubs have made near-perfect starts to the Premier League season, dropping just three points between them. Both are among the favourites to win the title.

Such results are bad news for bookmakers, because many punters back the favourites and their wins mean bigger payouts.

Evoke estimates that punter-friendly sporting results contributed to the quarterly revenue decline. Excluding this effect, revenue would have fallen by around 5–6%, rather than the reported 7%.

The company’s financial performance has also been affected by higher gambling taxes in the UK, including an increase in Remote Gaming Duty, the tax on online casino gaming, from 21% to 40%. To offset rising costs, Evoke has been shrinking its William Hill betting shop estate, with around 270 closures over the past year.

Evoke CEO Per Widerström warned that higher gambling taxes are leading to job losses and urged the UK government to consider these consequences when planning further tax changes.

His comments come as the government considers another tax increase, this time raising Machine Games Duty on gaming machines in land-based gambling venues from 20% to 25%. An increase to 40% had earlier been floated.

Against this backdrop of declining revenue, Evoke is preparing for its acquisition by Bally’s Intralot. The companies agreed to the deal in June 2026, and shareholders have since approved it. Completion is expected in late 2026 or early 2027.