Gambling business evoke plc said on Tuesday that fourth‑quarter revenue came in at roughly £464m, its strongest quarter of the year.
Evoke said sales rose 7% quarter‑on‑quarter, but were 3% lower year‑on‑year, reflecting a "strong" comparative period boosted by operator‑friendly sporting results.
The London-listed group said its improved Q4 performance was driven by gaming, which grew 9% year‑on‑year, with all divisions contributing, including a return to growth for 888casino in the UK, alongside a 10% rise in retail revenues and a 14% increase in international revenues. Betting revenues, on the other hand, fell 22% year‑on‑year against a strong prior‑year comparator.
Looking forward, Evoke expects full‑year revenues to be around £1.79bn, up 2% on the prior year, while adjusted underlying earnings were forecast to land between £355m and £360m, representing growth of roughly 14-15% and an EBITDA margin of about 20%.
Evoke added that its review of strategic options, first announced on 10 December, remains ongoing adnd includes assessing a range of potential routes to maximise shareholder value, which could involve a sale of the group or selected assets and business units.
Chief executive 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. Our focus on core markets continued to drive our profitable growth, with Italy and Denmark both delivering record quarterly revenues in Q4. This positive momentum has continued into 2026 with a strong start to the year with good growth across all divisions.
"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. 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."
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com