Dodgiest UK betting shops

brilliant thread some great stories

i see one company have a problem steam rolling out of control at the moment due to a area manageress known as the poison dwarf getting above her station as she has decided that if a shop manager is on a day off or on holiday and shop fails an under age 21 test the manager takes sole responsibility and will get a final warning only problem being she has now lost 3 experienced managers in 6 weeks even the hierarchy think she has gone too far as privately they have admitted a couple of there shops in london are out of control

well it seems the place to have got on recently is the paddy no power in palmers green as one guy has been going in there recently and putting 20 to 30 k in a carrier bag behind the ramp and when he has ironed out his tank the staff have given him credit.
for a few days he has got out of trouble but one day last week he had a mare and the assistant manageress and cashier have been suspended so shall we all guess to how much credit he has been given and then knocked the shop for

i was in finchley the other day and bumped into the manager from page 4 and he started telling me he is out of the game now as he has been tin tacked by all of them but mentioned bloxhams and said everything was going great and he seemed to have conquered his punting habits and was not even interested with the fobts when they first came in and then one sunday totally bored in the shop he decided to have a go and the next thing he knows he has done a bottle of scotch and 3 grand in the machine so sadly tin tacked from that company but managed to get a job on the underground and became a train driver but managed to fack that up as well with warnings given for leaving the train at east finchley stn and running upstairs to buy a racing post and the lights changing 3 times to finally failing a drugs test too much wacky baccy.
he is now 50 and working in a clothes shop but asked me do you think theres any chance he could get back into managing betting shops ffs

interesting and he sounds like some character
although a full stop and new paragraph here and there would of made for an easier read tbf

do not need the patronising reply tbf but then i guess you have never met any real characters but lets hope his old well dressed mate does not knock at your door re your name as in his employment now would be to seize goods if payment was not paid in full and remembering the kid back then i doubt if he has mellowed with age unless you looked like a stunner

why is he a poof

Gordon ?   

do not need the patronising reply

eh ?

I was genuinely interested in your post and did not intend to be in any way patronising
thats not my style at all.but thats the forum for you...
just would be a bit easier to read with a few full stops thats all
sorry if you find that offensive

old syemour and sotury shop in sandal wakefield as bent as they come.now a fred bet shop and they still employed unbelievable.when he not feking is assistant or watching l eeds he and her robbing customers blind fact. see how long this lasts

Four minutes so far

The corals in Acre Lane, Brixton was by far the worst shop in my experience. My mate, the manager got stabbed three times by the regulars on seperate occassions. The hierarchy argued the toss when he said he wanted a week off for stress.

Computer said no.

where was he stabbed? T2

In the arms, not fatal but not what you want really when you go to work. The shop is boarded up now, has been for a long time.

i wudnt want stabbin up T2 especially in brixton

Why are you calling me T2?

Mixing you up with Squares maybe ?

Looks like it pumps

post code turf war???

T2 = trap 2  ?

Either in the ''kharzi'' or a euphanism for the anus  ?

Not dodgy betting shop but dodgy staff, put a post on here before about the manager who worked for either tote credit or hector MacDonald in the smoke, the area manager would come round every Friday morning and say to him as he was leaving see you Monday afternoon, as soon as he left this guy would wheel out his own fruit machine and wheel it back out again Monday morning, anybody know the guy?

p.s. it wasn’t gal he only lasted a few weeks at hectors

Slippy Blue was trap 4!

ronnie,


good evening. Any feedback on your request  ?

Not a word halcyon, the area manager knows I'm not happy but hasn’t said a word even though they know I've applied to drop down.

I had a conversation with a guy who’s well up in the firm this week and he said Ron if your unhappy we really are in a bad way.

Yesterday I went to help at 2 different shops who are short staffed to help out and today I’ve been to another one, and talking to the young lad I was working with today; who hasn’t been signed off yet that means less than 9 weeks into starting for the firm; he was telling me he’s working a 13 hour shift tomorrow with an even younger cashier who’s only just started, and then on Thursday he’s working another 13 hour shift and they are still trying to get another member of staff in to give him a hand!

It won’t be me as I will be in Montpellier wine bar in Cheltenham from Thursday to Sunday just before going to do my brains in on course.
Hope your well regards Ron

Stay clear of the wine bar mate!

Save your money and head into Copa.

Ronnie,



here in the West Mids we've lost some fantastic staff in the last eighteen months, Area Managers included!  The firms being run into the ground mate.....



on a positive note, enjoy your holiday and win a few quid at Cheltenham !   

Stay round the corner from the Copa Mr E; best value champagne £6 a glass great as an awakener uppa.
Booked in Thursday night for a meal at the wine bar, Ruby Friday and Shezan Saturday. Good choice or not Mr E?

Very good choices mate. Shezan is very good the few times I've been.

Just need a nice few winners and your weekend is sorted!

Mr E going with the other half and I think the Christmas markets on and of course there is the trade stands so will need a lot of winners mate not a few!

Decamping from my usual hotel after this year and going to the Bradley, have you heard any reports about it?

Yep the Christmas market is a good place to shell out the £££.

Cant say I've been there but just looking at the place now. Looks very nice.

The Countryfile forecast said friday is dry but there could be rain on the weekend

Mr E

We were down in October and called in to our first haunt the wine bar, then popped next door into what used to be one of the best pubs in Cheltenham the Salisbury, only to find its now the Soho cocktail bar, I’ve never been in such as pretentious and overrated bar in my life will be avoiding it like the plague this meeting and going over to the refurbished Rotunda instead.

Had many a good time in the Salisbury waxing lyrical after winning a few quid to the old Jeff Beck classic hi ho silver lining, just another great institution gone forever like the good old bookies with the blower, boardman and brown pencils.

ronnie rails 11 Nov 12 20:31 Joined: 25 Oct 09 | Topic/replies: 290 | Blogger: ronnie rails's blog
Not dodgy betting shop but dodgy staff, put a post on here before about the manager who worked for either tote credit or hector MacDonald in the smoke, the area manager would come round every Friday morning and say to him as he was leaving see you Monday afternoon, as soon as he left this guy would wheel out his own fruit machine and wheel it back out again Monday morning, anybody know the guy?

p.s. it wasn’t gal he only lasted a few weeks at hectors.

dont think fruities were allowed when hector had shops but the manager mentioned on this thread for pulling that stroke was the corals in parkway camden town early 1990s who was probably one of the most slippery ones about and should have earned a fortune in his time but spunked it on clothes,drink and girls

Montpellier is a lovely place but as you say there are a few too many poncey joints.

I was in the Rotunda 2 years ago when menorah won the big hurdle. The place was full of Irish lads who were all on him. The place went mental when he won! They were tipping the bar girl 20 quid every round!

supersize

after spunking it all on the clothes,drink and girls did he waste the rest?

i still see him floating about drives a landcrusier amazon but i know his had shares in a skip hire firm and mini cab firms but not to sure what his up to now but you can be sure he is nicking a few quid out of something

on page 14 the manager who acts as a pawn broker on the side has just been tin tacked.

the company now have a new rule put in by human resources into staff contracts and if a shop is under performing then they will terminate your employment.

looks like there could be a few managers getting the old spanish archer soon but what a dirty fooking stroke to play by hierarchy when they decide where to open up these new shops and the areas already saturated with shops and they wonder why the shops not doing well when you open up against 4 other shops in the radius of 50 yards.

then the staff are told xmas eve,boxing day,new years eve and new years day opening at 08.00 and close at 22.00 to maximise fobt profits

some genuine LOLs on this thread

I worked for AR Dennis back in the day, the Chiswick shop was an education thats for sure- spent half the day stoned on the rastas fumes. I knocked back some loon trying to nick about 5 backshows and he walked out and came back in and threw his bike at the counter! 

Oh and a confession if anyone from Dennis's read this thread- the window cleaner did not exist, the 10 notes a on petty cash weekly was for a few beers and I just had a quick go round with the windolene once a month.

Without a doubt one of the best threads there has been.

Oh and a confession if anyone from Dennis's read this thread- the window cleaner did not exist, the 10 notes a on petty cash weekly was for a few beers and I just had a quick go round with the windolene once a month.

Window cleaners...

I worked for Stanley Racing 30 years ago in Belfast and some fella came in and wanted cash "for my ladders"(no windows cleaned) and I was about to tell him to do one (I am not Irish) until the cashier lifted out some cash to give to him...

If single manning was in operation I would probably have needed one...

William Hilll Harlesden late eighties, rasta guy took bets on a fold away table in the corner giving a little bit extra to the punters, I reckon he was taking a conservative grand per day, talk of having a brass neck, but I sat like a mouse, I valued my live over being a jobsworth.

Good one cooperman..

Love the ex betting shop Managers coming out to play...

In those days we were characters..

I can remember the Landlord of the pub on the Quayside that used to phone in bets and he was a real handful..

I was a youngster and he used to rule the roost in the area and even send around the staff (all six on a Saturday it was busy) a massive plate of sandwiches and loads of chips..

Then he would phone his bets in and he could drink...

He could actually pick a few winners..

Then came the day when he had a long losing run and I had to pop round to collect the cash.It was Cheltenham I think and Carvills Hill had fallen (?)...

I called round (we were not supposed to take bets over the phone...) and asked his wife for some cash..

Sue simply said (he was pissed and had gone to bed) how much..

I shook in my boots and said "Four Thousand Pounds" and she opened the safe, handed over the cash and said "do you fancy a drink"..

She was hot but as I had just come in my pants twice (once over actually getting the cash and secondly as she was HOT) I respectfully declined...

Happy Days....

Plenty of Leeds ones popping up, the one in Woodhouse was tasty, especially when the fairground in Hyde Park got going. I also used to frequent the one in burley where Martin Richardson took down the guy holding up the shop with a (fake) shooter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXQRCZUoTkg

Tong Road, Armley in Leeds got robbed a few weeks back too...
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/cctv-show...

Ladbrokes, Leicester, recently.

Two Indians robbed it after 10-00 p.m. 

One of them knocked out the manageress, who was on her own, and raped her.

I hear that the shop is now permanently closed.

assaulted with a screwdriver but classed as rape

Suzie was safe Homme.......... she'd heard the rumours !

I was hotter than Fleetwood Mac and incidentally had five female staff who all fancied me..

I was not sure whether to s hag them or report them to the Police for sexual harassement.

You know the truth - HAPPY DAYS....

FOR YOU SEASIDE
regards
Ronnie.

railton road brixton (citytote/williams/ron nagles)in the early seventies - you could get a bit high just standing in the shop, they used to use their spare relief managers as cashiers etc i remember 6 of us working in that shop (5 managers and a settler with one relief manager doing the board)the payout was a knocked out hole in the wall and when the results were bad they often used to throw their cans (mostly not empty) over the top of the bandit screen (which was not to the ceiling)and hit the results board and crash down and we all had to stand clear when we saw them coming, they didnt just ask for a back price they asked and expected 2 or 3 prices back and we all had to give it to them to keep the peace i also remember one of my mates stacking i think £20 worth of 50p coins on the counter and a punter coming up with something like a ruler from his sleeve and swishing the whole lot nothing was done about it was just accepted no attempt to get money back- once the manager (who was also a relief manager but seemed to be there permanently on relief) upset one of the main guys in there and had all four of his car tyres slashed, you knew you were in for an experience every time you were sent to railton road in those days

ttt for whoever it was that requested it.

Vincent v, perhaps you remember the shop at the top of Railton Road, the Herne Hill end, the independent Billy White's. The locals openly dealing allsorts and drinking Special Brew and that was just the norm, nobody (including the staff and owner) batted an eyelid! There was also a very rough Corals shop in Water Lane, Brixton, late 70's early 80's. The manager got stabbed on two separate occasions by regulars when they had done their dough and it was closed for good and to this day the unit is still empty.

Cheers slippy started reading it from the beginning and then couldnt find it.

I used to manage the chalk bookies in Middleton and remember one day being shuvved a 12 bore against the cage and asked to hand over the 'dosh'. We'd just paid out a two large winnings, and didn't have much left, so I invited the gun and his man to come round the back and see for himself. He did, and when he did, I legged it, leaving behind no more than £13 quid in those days.

when Brixton was Brixton .... Was there last year and cant believe how poncey it has become in and around the station arches... bloody honkys

Brixton has always been a haunt of the deviants in culture, WoundedHead.

My place of birth and I go there at least twice a week and in fact we are going to The Brixton Ritzy tomorrow to watch a film and have a few beers!

Ritzy ..Great gaff .. seen some mad films and bands back in the 80,s, including the pogues play there

I was the board man / lad in Stockwell road Brixton in the 1960s opps the National Assistants board

When I used to up west with my girlfiend lots of brothers would say hello my girlfriend said to me you know a lot of black men don't you.

I know a Manager Took the Lot with him Grand National Night  worked for Mecca  ,Last heard of Running a small bar on a Spanish Island ,And he told me he was Going to do it ,Area Manager was straight on the Phone to Me Monday Morning Have you seen or heard from  ???? I thought you fkin Nutter you Done it ,cant remember the Shops they had taken over But This fella Hated Mecca with a Vengance ,my reply was not heard from him for a  week is He sick ?? He knew I was Lieing   Was no Sunday racing them Days Often wonder what became of him ,he did not Give a Feck



Another Fella Took the Float think was two Grand to the City  Bet a dog Odds on Beaten  ,Im sure they preosecuted him ..

Another Friend was running A shop , Half the Turn over was his bets on Quite Days I popped in to see him One day Think he was down About a Monkey  .I have to put Through He said He is still working in the Industry.

All these stories are amazing,but i would like to make a comment about irish bookmakers in general.and i will tell about the high street bookies in the city of dublin as an example.
the shops are spotless,the toilets have hot water,paper towels,hand dryers,the shops are brightly painted,there is no smoking rules,no drink allowed,no drugs ,and fresh coffee and tea with biscuits are free.racing papers on the walls,football coupons available and staff in uniform (crisp white shirts and green ties) pretty young ladies are also dressed to impress.there are no slot machines to be seen,and if a guy wanted 200 on a horse at a morning price its taken no fuss.(in fact even  an eye brow would not be raised)most have carpet on the floors and all offices are heavy with the smell of fresh air sprays .glass is polished to gleaming effect and anyone entering a bookie shop would think they are entering a five star hotel.one office i know of provides 24 freshly cut buns each morning for free to customers,soft leather chairs are provided (arm chairs)for people who wish to spend the afternoon ,but one rule is there that is never changed .(if you ask anyone for a loan of money you will be out on your ear)and nobody is allowed hang about if they are not gambling.the offices are superb and are in immaculate condition, and a health and safety officer of the government check them regular intervals.
i am truly amazed and deeply saddened to know how the state of UK bookmaking industry has deteriorated judging by all the stories ,and its sad.
but enjoyable to read if you know what i mean.

Ttt

A few from my student days in Leeds spring to mind, Burley Road where this happenedhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7719161/Martin-Richard... and one in Woodhouse where you had to be buzzed in

I used to love going in to betting shops in the 80's and 90's but not anymore

I believe the betting shop was once known as the 5th social service as lonely individuals eg (friendly) pensioners would meet up, have a bet, keep warm and socialise; they even would have their lunches there too.

I have not visited a betting shop for over 10 years, not even to use their public convenience. But I have walked past quite a few and they were mainly empty even on a saturday afternoon. I think the life and soul of the betting shop has disappeared post the proliferation of fobt since a major change in their business model ie from taking bets to majorly reliance on fobt.

The demise of the betting shops will be a godsend and favourably greeted by society and community in general. For too long fobt has been the cause of untold miseries and social irresponsibility. And it is time for the demise of fobt too because it is so evil and addictive.

deserves a bump!

Belfast would prob hve the most notorious bookies as in the 70s & 80s masked gunman would regularly pop in and murder a few of those loitering about.

I only pop in now if I have to borrow (or rather steal) a pen

In there is prob the bookies I enjoyed the most back in the day.

https://www.google.com/maps/@54.9711133,-1.6134114,3a,75y,102.92h,78.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfmqdyT_nVhGP1KPoIboVog!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

bigg market

Yes Willie was a nice place in the 90s and there was a gorgeous lass behind the counter....never witnessed any thuggery or violence or threatening behaviour on my many visits in there.  Any you could get a lovely hot drink from the booth they had in there.

1980s a  laddies woodpecker road  new cross south london near the then notorious milton court estate (spanish steps pub mentioned earlier on thread ) anyway this shop was full of jamaicans ,if ya wanted to get high free just open the door and walk in place full of gunja smoking rastas and yardie mike tyson, goldie, lookalikes  2 mins would do the trick . i lived near there and used to bet in there a fair bit it was rowdy and noisy but the clientle were mainly docile due to the effects of the ganja .  an old boy bill was his name  used to bet in there his legs were fooked and he was permanatly on crutches due to working for years screeding his knees had gone long ago . anyway it took him about 20 mins to walk the couple of hundred yards from his house to the shop and when in the shop he would write out a bet and ask someone he could trust  to put it on for him as once he was sat down  on the shop stools that was it till closing time .  he lived in the same street as me and you had to walk through a park to get to the shop he would leave his house about 20 odd mins before the 1st race every day no sunday racing them days .i would often see him hobble past my window on his way to shop . this particular day it was bitterly cold and i had some things to do so it wasnt till about an hour after i had seen him go by that i made my way to the shop as i got to the park i sees bill standing there on the spot on his  crutches  as i got closer he is shakin like a fookin jelly he sees me and says thank fook you are here i have been standing here for a good 40 mins or more freezin my bollax off you gotta help me , ok bill whats the matter says i what can i do for you ,bill under my shoe is a twenty pound note i saw on the deck and ive been standing on the fooka for more than half an hour waiting for someone i knew to come along and pick it up for me sure enough he lifted his foot and i picked up the score and gave it to him , thanks mate he said plenty of people have walked past all rastas and fooking gangster lookalikes no way could i have asked one of them to pick the score up for me they woulda been off like a shot with the note .

no racing on a sunday in the 80's?

Willie
spoke to area manager from the toon only last week got talking about dodgy shops,
he told me the dodgiest one in the toon was a Corals in westgate road he said many many years ago it was full of dodgepots but would take over 60k a week did you ever frequent it.

hope you are well
stay safe
Ronnie.

no ronnie..shop i frequented for 20ys was in high howdon...joe simpsons..gus carter..whills now

cant remember ever going in tha laddies on a sunday willie may be wrong but cant recall it .

i nicked the safe in the early hours of the sat night ben nevis won the national 1980..£1950 in it.

looked it up 92 first sunday racing at  donny in britain

I used to go to one in loughborough rd in Brixton I think it was an independent and one at the bottom across the road from the pub maybe black horse or something some dodgy characters in there

1995 first year Of Sunday opening for betting shops.

The shop you used to frequent Foyles was def in top 3 worst shops in the country.

Foyles i worked on Milton crt and Pepys est in the 80.s...i was working with another geezer plastering...we went in the Spanish steps pub for lunch... shanty town

wounded, you were in the posh parts of Deptford then!!

GREAT PLACE TO WORK  our depots were gosterwood and  giffin street

.

Ttt

Just been in a Hills shop, the manager was a full-blown tranny. Wig, make-up, dress, the whole shebang! It can't be good for business.

Where are the roughest Bookie Shops in 2022??

Just been in a Hills shop, the manager was a full-blown tranny. Wig, make-up, dress, the whole shebang! It can't be good for business.

surprised they've promoted rico to manager given he's already admitted to robbing a safe on this fred ...

wernt hills safe ..

(at the time)

years ago mecca shop in new kent road loads of money going on . thay was bank robbers , no harm to any one good luck boys

Google Darlington bookmakers robbery

D.G. I was also in a Hills today, in Bromley, whilst Mrs.B. was doing Christmas stuff. It was spotless clean and a very friendly manager and a nice looking cashier for good measure.
A slightly more agreeable experience than yours was I think.

The future of betting and traditional bookies as we know it are very uncertain.

I hope it doesn't gave to go underground again.

Gambling in this country is a joke anyway

Treated like fooking 5 year olds online at UK regulated sites, theres good reason a lot are binning it off and/or heading for the unregulated european sites