About Organisation
Brief Overview
Evoke plc, formerly known as 888 Holdings PLC, is a multinational betting and gaming group listed on the London Stock Exchange. Following its 2022 acquisition of William Hill’s non-US operations, the company now combines a significant retail betting footprint with a diverse portfolio of online brands.
About Organisation
| Current Name |
Evoke plc (since May 2024) |
| Former Name |
888 Holdings PLC |
| Stock Exchange |
London Stock Exchange (LSE: EVOK) |
| Employees |
11,000+ (as of 2022) |
| Key Markets |
UK, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Romania |
Mission and Business Focus
Evoke operates a mix of B2C and B2B business models, focusing on regulated market growth, proprietary technology, and responsible gambling.
About Organisation
| Online Gaming |
888casino, 888poker, 888sport, Mr Green, William Hill (Online) |
| Retail Betting |
1,300+ William Hill shops across the UK |
| B2B Platform |
Dragonfish (poker & bingo white-label solutions) |
| Africa Focus |
888AFRICA (JV), including BetLion acquisition |
| US (exit 2024) |
SI Sportsbook / Casino (sold to Hard Rock Digital – exit finalising in 2024) |
Company History & Founders
Year Founded and Evolution
Founded in 1997 as Virtual Holdings Limited, the company was among the early pioneers in online gambling. Its 2022 acquisition of William Hill International marked a major turning point, greatly expanding its retail and digital footprint.
Company History & Founders
| 1997 |
Founded by two sets of Israeli brothers |
| 2002 |
IPO on London Stock Exchange |
| 2022 |
Acquired William Hill’s non-US business |
| 2024 |
Rebranded to Evoke plc |
Key People / Founders
Company History & Founders
| Avi & Aaron Shaked |
Original vision and capital investment |
| Ron & Shay Ben-Yitzhak |
Technical founders of initial platform |
| Per Widerström |
CEO (appointed 2023) |
Licensing & Regulatory Info
Active Gaming Licences
Evoke plc holds multiple national licences, enabling legal operation across core European and regulated international markets.
Licensing & Regulatory Info
| United Kingdom |
UKGC Licence |
| Gibraltar |
B2C and B2B Licences |
| Italy |
AAMS Licence |
| Spain |
DGOJ Licence |
| Denmark |
Danish Gambling Licence |
| Romania |
ONJN Licence |
| United States |
State-level licences (in exit process) |
Regulatory Bodies & Compliance Measures
Licensing & Regulatory Info
| UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) |
AML, safer gambling, marketing compliance |
| Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner |
Player protection, licensee audits |
| Other EU national regulators |
Local licensing and operational compliance |
The group has received multiple fines, including a £9.4m UKGC fine (2022) and £2.9m Gibraltar settlement (2023), related to AML and KYC failings.
Offices & Headquarters
Main Office Locations
Offices & Headquarters
| Registered Office |
601/701 Europort, Gibraltar |
| UK Offices |
London, Leeds |
| EU Offices |
Ceuta, Bucharest, Malta, Sofia |
| Tech Hub |
Tel Aviv, Israel |
Global Reach
Evoke operates in over 150 countries, with a core commercial focus on regulated European markets. It exited the US market in 2024 to consolidate strategic growth in its most profitable regions.
