William Hill is closing betting shops as it reels from a £1.1billion Budget tax raid on the gambling sector.

Evoke, which also owns 888 and the Mr Green brand, said it has ‘moved quickly and decisively’ after Rachel Reeves hiked online gaming and sports betting duties.

This includes the closure of some of its 1,300-plus betting shops with the potential loss of hundreds of jobs.

Evoke also said the review into its operations – launched last month in the wake of the Budget – is ongoing with the company and its brands now effectively up for sale.

Speaking as he updated the City on trading on Tuesday, Evoke chief executive Per Widerstrom said: ‘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.

‘We continue to believe these tax increases will negatively impact the industry’s economic contribution, customer protection, and will ultimately serve to support further growth in the illegal black market.