William Hill to exit 10 African countries
Closures linked to subpar performance and the operator’s broader strategy to focus on larger and more profitable markets.
Nigeria.- Starting December 2, William Hill will stop offering online gaming and betting services in 13 markets, including ten African countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Angola, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Mozambique, Sudan, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Evoke Plc, which bought William Hill in 2022 for £2.2bn (€2.6bn), confirmed the closures will affect the William Hill, Mr Green and 888 brands in these territories.
A company spokesperson said: “On a periodic basis, we review the products we provide in markets across the world. In this instance, we have made the decision to close the William Hill, MRG and 888 brands in a selection of markets across Africa and Asia.”
However, the company noted that the separate 888Africa joint venture, launched in 2022 with local partners to serve regulated African countries, is not affected and will continue operating normally.
Although Evoke hasn’t specified reasons for exiting each country, the decision may be linked to its subpar performance in these African jurisdictions and its broader strategy to focus on larger and more profitable markets like the UK, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Romania.
Despite an 11 per cent increase in international revenue in the first half of 2025, the company is implementing cost-cutting measures of up to £25m (€29m) and expects slower overall growth.
The company has assured customers in the affected jurisdictions that their balances will remain secure and all open bets will be honoured until December 2.
A notice to customers read: “Your balance is safe with us. If you have any open bets, these will be settled as normal up until the 2nd of December 2025. Any bets that are due to be settled after the 2nd of December 2025 will be voided and refunded to your account.”
Players can continue to log in and withdraw money until January 5, 2026. After that date, accounts will be locked and any remaining funds can only be claimed by contacting customer support.
