Evolution Gaming announced a major UK studio expansion on 26 April, opening 120 new dedicated live tables across its Birmingham and Leeds facilities. The additional capacity supports a fresh wave of branded environments for Bet365, William Hill and LeoVegas. It is the biggest single UK live casino expansion since the Leeds studio opened in 2022 and reshapes the supply side of the UK <a href="/online-casinos/">online casinos</a> live offering.
What's been added
The expansion takes Evolution's total UK dedicated table count from roughly 100 to 220, with Birmingham contributing 60 new tables and Leeds another 60. The new floorspace covers an additional 4,200 square metres across the two sites, and Evolution has confirmed net new hiring of 480 dealers, pit bosses and production staff to support round-the-clock operation.
Bet365 is the biggest beneficiary, with 36 new dedicated tables including branded American and European roulette, blackjack, baccarat and a new branded version of Lightning Roulette. William Hill gains 28 new tables, focused on its Vegas-themed environment, and LeoVegas picks up 18 new tables across its King-branded blackjack and roulette ranges.
The remaining capacity is split between 888casino, Sky Casino and Paddy Power Live, with each operator gaining a modest uplift in dedicated-table availability to reduce wait times during UK evening peak. Our player guides cover how to identify dedicated versus shared tables when you're logged in.
Why the UK-specific expansion
Live casino has been the standout growth category in the UK market for three straight years, and Evolution's UK operator partners have been pressing for more dedicated capacity to differentiate on customer experience. Wait times at peak on shared tables had been creeping up, dedicated tables effectively guarantee a seat and reduce abandonment.
There's also a regulatory lens. UK-based studios ensure that dealers operate under UK employment law, that data residency requirements are straightforward, and that the UKGC can inspect live operations on short notice. The Gambling Commission has been increasingly explicit in recent supplier audits about favouring onshore operations for high-compliance categories.
Finally, the upcoming £5 stake cap will, in practice, hit live casino less severely than online slots, because most UK live blackjack and roulette tables already operate with lower per-hand minima. Operators are positioning for the post-October environment by pushing harder on the category most likely to retain customer spend.
What this means for players
Expect noticeably shorter wait times at branded tables across tier-one operators from the end of April, particularly between 19:00 and 23:00 when UK demand peaks. Dedicated environments at Bet365 and William Hill have historically queued five-plus players at busy weekends; the added capacity should largely eliminate that.
There's also a content angle. The new tables give each operator space for branded variants, think themed Lightning Roulette tables, operator-exclusive blackjack side-bet panels, and promotional game-show tables tied to seasonal campaigns. Watch our news desk for individual launch coverage over the coming weeks.
Quality-wise, Evolution's production standards are industry-leading and the UK studios have historically been its flagships for 4K output and dealer training. The expansion maintains that standard, all new tables ship with the same camera arrays, audio kit and streaming infrastructure that power the Riga HQ.
