The Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the licensing of an executive director and chief financial officer of Evoke PLC who has spoken glowingly of the company’s financial picture so far in 2025.
The Commission will act on a Nevada Gaming Board recommendation to approve a license for Sean Wilkins as an officer and key director. He’s currently the interim head of U.S. operations and has served with the company since February 2024.
Evoke is a Gibraltar-incorporated and London-based international betting and gaming operator that owns William Hill International, the non-U.S. assets of Caesars’s William Hill, along with William Hill Vegas, 888casino, 888sport, and Mr. Green.
“Evoke is a very healthy business growing well,” Wilkins told the Board earlier this month. “I’m pleased with our half-year results. We have good liquidity and we’re very profitable. Revenue is growing well and underlying profitability is growing more strongly than that. We have 1.8 billion pounds of debt, which means we’re highly geared, and we’re on a strong trajectory to bring that down.”
Wilkins said Evoke’s business dealings in Nevada pertain to Caesars Entertainment by supporting the World Series of Poker. Their business in Nevada will grow alongside the World Series of Poker, he noted.
Last week, Evoke released its first-half earnings report that, according to the company, showed “a period of highly profitable growth and further deleveraging.” Following the return to growth in the second half of 2024, Evoke delivered its fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth.
“This momentum was driven by very strong performances across the group’s international core markets, supported by an encouraging return to growth in UK retail in the second quarter,” the company said.
“While focusing on sustainable top-line growth, we have also significantly improved the group’s profitability,” the company said. “This has been achieved through direct actions such as the transformative changes we are making to our operating model delivering cost reductions, alongside improved operating leverage from revenue growth and more effective and efficient use of bonusing, and our evolved approach to marketing – all contributing to improved margins.”
First -half adjusted EBITDA was up by 44% against the prior year, demonstrating “a real step change” in Evoke’s profitability and supporting its strong deleveraging trajectory, the company said.
“Alongside our improved trading performance in the first half, we continued to transform and strengthen the group’s mid-and long-term capabilities,” the company said. “We are sharpening our competitive advantages and aligning our leading brands and products more clearly to a compelling customer value proposition. Our disciplined strategy, with a clear focus on our five core markets as well as on continuously driving operational excellence, is working and delivering positive results. That said, as a team we know there is much more we need to deliver as we enter the second half, and we remain laser-focused on execution as we strive to realize our exciting potential and create significant value.”
The company has faced regulatory scrutiny in Europe. It was fined by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission eight years ago for allowing customers to keep their accounts after they self-excluded. Three years ago, the Commission fined them for anti-money-laundering allegations.
Laura Burd, the U.S. director of compliance with Evoke, was asked to address compliance issues by Board members. Burd said Evoke has a commitment to retain a robust compliance program consistent with Nevada’s industry-leading regulatory framework.
“In doing so, I acknowledge that delays have occurred in certain application filings and board inquiries,” Burd said. “To this end, Evoke and myself personally will continue to work to avoid this in the future.”
Board Chair Mike Dreitzer said he’s willing to “turn the page on some things” and appreciates the company admitting mistakes were made. “There will be several opportunities between now and October for you to show that is the case,” Dreitzer said. “You will be appearing before us (this fall) with another applicant from the company.”
Board member Chandeni Sendall said there’s been a lack of clarity and forthrightness with deadlines and document requests. If deadlines can’t be met, it must be communicated, she said. “It’s my understanding the agents will be coming out there and meeting with individuals and doing the work they need to do unrelated to the application before us,” Sendall said.
