William Hill owner Evoke PLC (LSE:EVOK) posted an update revealing that the past quarter was its strongest of the year, driven by gaming growth across all divisions.
The bookmaker, which put itself up for sale last month after a rise in gambling taxes in the Budget, reported revenues of roughly £464 million for the fourth quarter, up 7% compared with the previous quarter but down 3% year-on-year.
The strategic review remains ongoing, with Evoke saying it may include the sale of the group or some of its business units. No forward-looking guidance will be provided while the review is in progress.
Chief executive officer Per Widerström said: “During Q4 we made good progress against our strategic plans, delivering our best quarter of the year and demonstrating the underlying momentum in the business.”
He added: “While the strong strategic and financial progress we made throughout 2025 was encouraging, we were very disappointed with the outcome of the UK Budget in November that dealt a significant blow to both evoke and the wider regulated industry.”
Gaming revenue increased 9% year-on-year, while Retail rose 10% and International was up 14%. Betting revenue declined 22% as a result of unfavourable comparatives.
Full-year revenue is expected to come in at roughly £1.79 million, representing a 2% increase year-on-year.
Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be in the range of £355-360 million, up 14-15% year-on-year and in line with market expectations. TheEBITDA margin is expected to remain around 20%.