Evoke posts 7% revenue fall as Bally's Intralot deal nears completion

Evoke, the group that owns William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, reported revenue of £406m for the third quarter of 2026, a fall of 7% on the same period a year earlier, according to the company. On a like-for-like basis at constant currency, and excluding the effect of closing about 270 shops compared with 2025, the decline was 2%.

Evoke said the quarter was also affected by sports results that favoured bettors in the early part of the football season. That factor reduced revenue growth by about 1-2 percentage points, the company said; excluding it, group revenue would have been broadly stable.

Chief executive Per Widerström said the underlying business continued to show resilience, reflecting attention to profitability and cash generation after significant increases in gambling taxes, particularly in the United Kingdom. He said the closure of 270 shops over the past year showed the effect of higher sector taxation on jobs and people's living conditions, and called on the British government to assess carefully any further increase ahead of the autumn budget.

On the corporate side, Evoke said its acquisition by Bally's Intralot is proceeding according to plan. Shareholders of both companies have approved the necessary resolutions and most of the required regulatory authorisations have been obtained, according to the company. Completion, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions still outstanding, is expected between late Q4 2026 and early Q1 2027.

Widerström said the group remained focused on disciplined execution of its operations and on operating efficiency as the acquisition nears completion, which he said continues to proceed according to plan.