London, 25 November 2025 — Online betting giant William Hill will shut down operations in 13 international markets from 2 December 2025, in one of the brand’s largest geographic retreats in years. The move, confirmed on the operator’s own help centre and amplified by gambling trade press around the world, comes just days before the UK’s November budget and amid warnings from parent company Evoke plc about potential shop closures if gambling taxes rise. [1]
The 13 countries William Hill is leaving
According to William Hill’s official Country/Market Closures notice, customers in the following jurisdictions will lose access to the brand’s offerings from 2 December 2025: [2]
- Africa: Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia
- Latin America: Bolivia, Nicaragua
- Asia: Nepal, Vietnam
From that date, residents in these countries will no longer be able to place bets or use William Hill’s online services. Industry outlets including EGR Intel, InterGame, iGaming Business and others have all confirmed the same 13-market list, describing it as a significant scaling back of William Hill’s non-core international presence. [3]
Although some commentary initially referred to “10 African countries”, most detailed reporting and William Hill’s own documentation point to nine African markets among the 13, plus Bolivia and Nicaragua in Latin America and Nepal and Vietnam in Asia. [4]
How and when the closures will happen
William Hill has outlined a clear timeline for affected customers on its support pages and in media briefings: [5]
- 2 December 2025
- Last day to place bets in the 13 markets.
- Open bets settling on or before 2 December will be paid out as normal.
- Bets due to settle after 2 December will be voided and stakes refunded to player accounts.
- 2 December 2025 – 5 January 2026
- Customers can still log in and withdraw remaining balances.
- From 6 January 2026 onwards
- Login credentials for accounts in the 13 markets will no longer work.
- Any leftover funds can only be withdrawn by contacting customer support.
The same model was used in an earlier wave of closures: on a separate support page, William Hill confirms that India, Jamaica and Botswana were cut off from 30 September 2025, with balances withdrawable until the end of the year. [6]
For now, bonuses, loyalty points and any unsettled bets are all ultimately being funnelled back into player balances before cash-out — a reassuring message for customers, but one that also underlines the finality of the exit.
Official reasoning: “Periodic review” vs tax and performance pressure
Publicly, Evoke has framed the decision as part of routine portfolio management. In statements quoted by African and global trade outlets, a spokesperson stresses that the group “periodically reviews the products we provide in markets across the world” and has decided to close William Hill, Mr Green and 888-branded operations in a selection of markets across Africa and Asia. [7]
However, reporting from iGaming Business, GamesHub and regional media adds important context: [8]
- Evoke has warned it may have to close up to 200 William Hill betting shops in the UK, around 15% of its estate, if the UK government raises gambling taxes in the 26 November budget, putting roughly 1,500 jobs at risk. [9]
- Commentators see the 13-market retreat as part of a wider cost-cutting and optimisation plan, timed just a week ahead of the budget and alongside similar belt-tightening moves by competitors such as Sky Bet’s owner Flutter. [10]
- African-focused analysis highlights “subpar performance” in several of the exited markets, suggesting that some of these jurisdictions may not have reached the scale or profitability Evoke now demands. [11]
While William Hill’s official materials avoid explicitly blaming tax policy, the coincidence of timing, the warning about UK retail closures and a broader industry expectation that gambling taxes will rise all strengthen the impression that Evoke is de-risking ahead of a harsher fiscal environment. [12]
A strategic pivot away from “long tail” markets
The December exits do not happen in isolation. In addition to the India, Jamaica and Botswana closures in September, industry reporting shows that William Hill has been gradually trimming smaller or harder-to-regulate territories for some time. [13]
According to legal and licensing coverage in iGaming Business and other B2B titles, Evoke’s current strategy hinges on: [14]
- Focusing growth on core regulated markets such as the UK, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Romania and select European jurisdictions.
- Consolidating brands rather than running overlapping labels in the same geography.
- Prioritising markets where taxation, licensing and enforcement frameworks are relatively stable, reducing regulatory risk.
The 13 departing countries are, for the most part, emerging or mid-tier markets where regulatory certainty, payment infrastructure and enforcement vary heavily — and where competition from local brands has intensified.
Africa: from William Hill to 888Africa
The African footprint is at the heart of the reshuffle. Of the 13 departing markets, nine are in Africa, including heavyweights Nigeria and Kenya as well as Angola, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Somalia and both Congos. [15]
Crucially, Evoke is not abandoning the continent entirely. In 2022, the group licensed the 888 brand to the 888Africa joint venture, retaining a stake while handing day-to-day execution to a team of local and ex-William Hill executives. [16]
- 888Africa is led by Christopher Coyne, former head of competitive intelligence at Paddy Power.
- Former William Hill online managing director Andrew Lee is chief product officer.
Reports from African trade publications and SCCG Management’s analysis emphasise that 888Africa is unaffected by the December exits. Instead, the move appears to remove brand duplication, letting Evoke concentrate African investment behind a single online identity rather than splitting marketing and compliance resources between William Hill and 888. [17]
For local players, that means William Hill-branded sites will disappear, but 888-branded offerings may remain or even grow in some regulated territories, depending on local licensing.
Latin America and Asia: mixed regulatory pictures
In Latin America, the withdrawal from Bolivia and Nicaragua underscores the complexity of the region. As SBC Eurasia notes, gaming in Bolivia remains something of a grey area, while Nicaragua is broadly regulated but still presents operational challenges for international operators. [18]
In Asia, William Hill is stepping back from Nepal and Vietnam. Both countries have tightened or reworked their gambling frameworks in recent years, with highly limited or experimental approaches to legal betting. For a major European operator looking for scalable, regulated revenue streams, they now sit at the edge of the strategic map rather than at its centre. [19]
What today’s (25 November) coverage adds
Earlier stories from B2B outlets such as EGR Intel, Tribuna and iGaming Business broke the news of the 13-market exit last week. [20]
More recent and region-focused coverage, including:
- Focus Gaming News Africa, which highlights that the closures will affect William Hill, 888 and Mr Green brands in the affected African territories and links the move to Evoke’s shift toward “larger and more profitable markets” such as the UK, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Romania. [21]
- Games Magazine Brasil, which republishes the international story for a Latin American audience today, stressing that the December contraction is one of William Hill’s most far-reaching pullbacks in years. [22]
Together with GamesHub’s analysis of Evoke’s financial messaging and the looming UK budget, today’s picture is clearer:
The 13-market exit is not a one-off fire drill, but part of a multi-step global reset in which Evoke trims niche or less profitable geographies while preparing for higher tax and regulatory costs at home. [23]
As of 25 November 2025, there has been no public indication from William Hill that additional countries will be added to the closure list beyond the 13 already named.
What players in affected countries should do
For customers in the 13 exiting markets, the key actions are practical rather than political: [24]
- Check official communications
- Rely on emails, on-site messages and the William Hill Help Centre rather than social media rumours or third-party sites.
- Review open bets
- Any bets due to settle on or before 2 December 2025 should pay out as usual.
- Bets scheduled to settle after 2 December will be voided and stakes returned to your balance.
- Withdraw funds in good time
- Log in and withdraw before 5 January 2026 to avoid the extra friction of going through customer support once logins are disabled.
- Be cautious of unlicensed alternatives
- Industry analysts warn that abrupt exits from major brands can push some players toward unregulated operators, which may not offer the same safeguards around KYC, payout integrity or responsible gambling tools.
Evoke and William Hill have repeatedly stressed that player balances are safe and that support channels will remain open for those who miss the self-service withdrawal window. [25]
Industry impact: a warning sign for mid-tier markets
For regulators and rival operators, William Hill’s retreat is an important signal:
- It confirms that global gambling groups will not hesitate to leave mid-sized or unstable markets if compliance costs, tax burdens or profitability no longer justify the presence. [26]
- It underscores the increasing dominance of joint-venture and “local champion” models in Africa and other emerging regions, with 888Africa standing out as Evoke’s preferred vehicle on the continent. [27]
- It adds weight to warnings from operators like Betfred and Paddy Power that higher gambling taxes in mature markets could accelerate shop closures and digital consolidation. [28]
For now, William Hill’s brand remains strong in the UK and other core jurisdictions, with Evoke signalling confidence in its FY25 outlook even as it looks to trim up to £25m in costs and brace for slower growth. [29]
But for players and partners in the 13 departing countries, 2 December 2025 will mark the end of an era — and a reminder that in the modern betting industry, global reach is no longer about being everywhere, but about being in the right places on the right terms.
References
1. help.williamhill.com, 2. help.williamhill.com, 3. www.egr.global, 4. igamingafrika.com, 5. help.williamhill.com, 6. help.williamhill.com, 7. focusgn.com, 8. igamingbusiness.com, 9. igamingbusiness.com, 10. www.gameshub.com, 11. focusgn.com, 12. www.racingpost.com, 13. help.williamhill.com, 14. igamingbusiness.com, 15. igamingbusiness.com, 16. igamingbusiness.com, 17. igamingafrika.com, 18. sbceurasia.com, 19. igamingbusiness.com, 20. www.egr.global, 21. focusgn.com, 22. www.gamesbras.com, 23. www.gameshub.com, 24. help.williamhill.com, 25. help.williamhill.com, 26. igamingbusiness.com, 27. igamingafrika.com, 28. www.gameshub.com, 29. focusgn.com
