William Hill closures: The extinction of a British cultural hub

The betting shop, once a bedrock of local identity and community banter, is vanishing. As William Hill closes its doors, we witness the deletion of an authentic high-street fixture. We examine this downfall, pinpoint what led to this, and what it means for operators and players going forward.

An industry in decline 

The gradual retreat from the high street has been underway for years, driven by the seductive convenience of the digital world. This change was only accelerated by the forced isolation of pandemic lockdowns and tighter regulations aimed at protecting vulnerable customers. 

Then there is the looming shadow of a possible gambling tax increase that darkens the entire sector.

Consumers have moved to online platforms for more than just gambling, as the accessibility and instant gratification become too much to resist. 

Crucially, the closures are a sharp, pragmatic measure by William Hill’s parent company, Evoke, which is reportedly facing over a billion pounds in debt and needs to slash costs. 

How regulation has killed a cultural institution

In 2019, the British Government introduced a new policy around the maximum stake that players could place on machines, lowering it from £100 to £2. This decreased the appeal of betting shops significantly. 

Whilst it is clear that the Government was trying to reduce gambling problems and debt, this removed the appeal of risk completely, leading to a reduction in customers at William Hill and other betting stores. 

Discouraging the gamblers caused a huge revenue loss for these companies: 

• £1.78 billion of revenue from high street operators came from these machines. 

• This means that 58% of their profits were likely lost after the £2 cap. 

The 2005 Gambling Act limited these businesses to four machines, which led operators to increase the number of stores in one area to maximise their customers. However, this then backfired for them when the footfall in high streets began to decline. 

After this new policy in 2019, William Hill had to close 700 of its shops. They weren't the only operator to do this, as the number of betting shops fell by 12.1% between March and September 2019. 

The rise of online gambling 

The constant access to our phones and online platforms has made everything more convenient, including gambling.

The online gambling market in the UK had a gross gambling yield of £6.9 billion between April 2023 and March 2024, a 6.9% increase from April 2022 - March 2023. 

In comparison, the number of betting shops in the UK has been decreasing each year. The UKGC reported 5,931 betting shops in March 2024, which is a 22.8% decrease from March 2020. 

Other operators at risk

William Hill is not the only betting shop operator facing closure, with Paddy Power and Betfred also having to close stores. 

Paddy Power has recently confirmed the closure of 57 betting shops across the UK and Ireland due to market conditions and an increase in costs. 

This has resulted in over 200 staff at risk of redundancy, although the company has offered redeployment where they can. 

Whilst Betfred has not made any closures as of yet, they have said that if the gambling tax increases, they will be forced to make closures. 

The CEO, Fred Done, said that a tax increase would put all 1200 stores and over 7000 staff members at risk. 

A cultural shift

The CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council says that these betting shops are:

“A long-standing part of Britain’s cultural and sporting fabric”. 

If these closures continue, we will see an irreversible impact on the landscape of the gambling industry as it is removed from communities and culture. 

Players are losing more than a shop

The true cost of the digital revolution in terms of gambling is not just measured in job losses or debt relief, but in the irreplaceable, shared ritual that has defined generations of local community life. High street betting shops were not just places for placing wagers, but social hubs. 

The solitary glow of a blue screen has signalled an authentic cultural space being silenced forever. 

It seems the sheer weight of regulation and the irresistible lure of the screen are forces that this quintessential British institution was simply never meant to survive.