Evoke Eyes Mass Shop Closures As UK Betting Tax Hike Looms

Evoke is not the first leading operator in the UK forced to resort to shop closures. Entain CEO, Stella David, faced the same difficulties just last week.

Ex-PM Gordon Brown and 101 Labour MPs back the “polluter pays” model for extensive gambling tax inflations in the November budget in the hopes of filling the £30 billion Treasury void faced by the government.

A spokesperson for evoke said: “We are mindful of potential tax increases in the forthcoming Budget which would impact investment in the UK and drive more customers to the black market.

“As part of our ongoing planning, we are assessing the potential impact of different overall tax scenarios on our UK operations. This includes the difficult but necessary consideration for shop closures.”

In a recent interview, Chancellor Rachel Reeves insinuated the duties will indeed rise. However, despite the plausible expectations that the tax hike will be implemented, formally, the Treasury is devoted to its out-for-consultation policy of tax harmonisation.

The horse racing division, traditionally one of Evoke’s most trusted allies, is particularly affronted by this policy. This approach seeks to bring three different gambling taxes under a single headline rate, leaving the horse racing sector potentially facing the biggest surge.

A spokesman for the Treasury said: “We are consulting on bringing online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy. It is not about increasing or decreasing tax rates, and we welcome all views.”

A concrete decision about the closure scheme has not been made, as Evoke’s plans are highly likely to be majorly influenced by the final tax rate. Over the next few weeks, UK gamblers should look out for further information from the government and the press.