William Hill has announced it will be closing 200 high street stores just months after the Labour government’s ‘highly damaging’ gambling tax increases. The bookmaker said on Tuesday that 15 per cent of its outlets will shut within weeks in the latest blow for the British high street.
The move comes just months after Chancellor Rachel Reeves made the decision to almost double taxes on online gambling from 21 to 40 per cent, while hiking sports betting from 15 to 25 per cent.
Her announcement was blasted by influential figures in the sector, with some describing it as ‘deeply appalling’ and a ‘devastating hammer blow’.
William Hill’s parent company Evoke has now directly blamed Reeves’ tax hike for its decision to shut stores in a statement released today.
