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Friday 23 October

Today’s Edition

Retail & consumer

Evoke revenues dip as shop closures and sports results weigh, but Bally's deal on track Evoke, the betting and gaming group behind William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, reported a 7% decline in third-quarter revenues to £406 million, though the drop was far smaller on an underlying basis. Stripping out currency movements and the closure of around 270 retail shops over the past year, revenues fell just 2% on a like-for-like constant currency basis. Unusually customer-friendly sports results at the start of the football season added a further 1 to 2 percentage point headwind, meaning revenues were broadly stable on a normalised basis. Chief executive Per Widerström said the business continued to show resilience, with the group's focus on profitability and cash generation offsetting the impact of substantially higher gaming duties, particularly in the UK. He used the update to warn the government against further tax increases ahead of the Autumn Budget, saying the closure of 270 shops over the past year illustrated the real impact on jobs and livelihoods. On the corporate front, Evoke's recommended acquisition by Bally's Intralot S.A. is progressing as planned. Both sets of shareholders have passed the required resolutions and the majority of regulatory approvals have been received. Completion is expected late in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early in the first quarter of 2027, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of remaining conditions. Evoke, which is incorporated in Gibraltar and listed in London, operates across multiple international markets and has been reshaping its retail estate while investing in its online business. The Bally's Intralot deal, once complete, will mark a significant change of ownership for one of the UK's best-known betting brands.

By Ian Lyall

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Friday 23 October

Today’s Edition

Retail & consumer

Evoke revenues dip as shop closures and sports results weigh, but Bally's deal on track Evoke, the betting and gaming group behind William Hill, 888 and Mr Green, reported a 7% decline in third-quarter revenues to £406 million, though the drop was far smaller on an underlying basis. Stripping out currency movements and the closure of around 270 retail shops over the past year, revenues fell just 2% on a like-for-like constant currency basis. Unusually customer-friendly sports results at the start of the football season added a further 1 to 2 percentage point headwind, meaning revenues were broadly stable on a normalised basis. Chief executive Per Widerström said the business continued to show resilience, with the group's focus on profitability and cash generation offsetting the impact of substantially higher gaming duties, particularly in the UK. He used the update to warn the government against further tax increases ahead of the Autumn Budget, saying the closure of 270 shops over the past year illustrated the real impact on jobs and livelihoods. On the corporate front, Evoke's recommended acquisition by Bally's Intralot S.A. is progressing as planned. Both sets of shareholders have passed the required resolutions and the majority of regulatory approvals have been received. Completion is expected late in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early in the first quarter of 2027, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of remaining conditions. Evoke, which is incorporated in Gibraltar and listed in London, operates across multiple international markets and has been reshaping its retail estate while investing in its online business. The Bally's Intralot deal, once complete, will mark a significant change of ownership for one of the UK's best-known betting brands.

By Ian Lyall ·

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