888 sees chunk of online sales disappear after problem gambling efforts

The business saw revenue drop 3% to around £1.9 billion last year

888 bought William Hill last year (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archive)

Around £1 in every £6 made by betting giant 888 online disappeared last year largely due to efforts to reduce problem gambling.

The company – which last year bought William Hill – said that its total revenue had dropped around 3% to £1.9 billion in the year to the end of December.

It came as a return to more normal revenues in its retail shops largely offset the 15% drop in online revenue “which was driven by proactive investment in enhanced player safety measures” in the UK and the closure of its business in the Netherlands.