William Hill and 888 to exit 13 international markets
Evoke is pulling William Hill and 888 from multiple markets in Africa and Latin America.
UK.- London-listed Evoke’s William Hill and 888 brands will exit 13 non-core territories from next month. According to an update published on the brand’s customer support site, the exits will take place from December 2.
Nine of the exits are from African nations – Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. The operations of 888Africa will not be affected.
Evoke, which bought William Hill’s non-US operations from Caesars in 2022, will also withdraw from Vietnam, Bolivia and Nicaragua.
It said in a statement: “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.
“Customers can still enjoy evoke’s brand 888Africa across Africa, which is not affected and continues to perform positively, and via 888.com in other markets.”
Evoke had already warned that it may close up to 200 William Hill betting shops in the UK. It’s been speculated that leaving 13 relatively minor markets may be a way to consolidate resources to protect its core UK business.
However, the intention could also be reduce the reputational risk of exposure to grey markets. Evoke has previously taken steps to reduce its presence in unregulated jurisdictions. In 2023, the company pulled 888 from grey markets following an investigation into transactions with high-value Middle Eastern clients.
Other major UK operators have followed similar paths. Entain accelerated its withdrawal from grey markets in 2023 under pressure from the UK Crown Prosecution Service, while Bet365 announced it would cease operations in China. Nevertheless, Evoke’s latest withdrawals cover a mixed range of market types. Nicaragua has regulated gambling, while Bolivia is a grey market and Vietnam explicitly prohibits online gambling.
