Overview
- Evoke appointed Morgan Stanley and Rothschild as joint financial advisers to evaluate options including a full sale or asset disposals.
- The board cautioned there is no certainty any transaction will occur and said further updates will be given when and if appropriate.
- Remote gaming duty is set to rise to 40% from April 2026 and a new 25% duty on online sports betting takes effect from April 2027, which Evoke estimates will add £125–135 million a year once fully implemented.
- The company has flagged mitigation such as closing shops, cutting costs and changing its customer proposition, warning of potential thousands of UK job losses and reduced domestic investment.
- Evoke remains highly leveraged following its £2.2 billion William Hill deal, with net debt around £1.8 billion and a market value under £100 million, and its shares rose around 9–10% on the review announcement.