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01 Aug 12
21:16
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Date Joined:
05 Jan 10
MONDAY 8PM CHANNEL 4 6/AUG/2012
ch4.co.uk
Britain's high streets are struggling to survive, but one business is booming; betting shops. On average one new bookie opens every week. In one London high street there are now 10 within yards and the locals are fed up.
What's driving this gambling boom and what's the impact on our communities? Michael Crick investigates the rise of High Street gambling. He hears from an apologetic politician who now admits they got the gambling laws wrong, and from those most affected by the spread of the betting shops
Tuesday May 22nd
http://crossfields.blogspot.ie
A researcher working for Channel 4's Dispatches (October Films) contacted Crosswhatfields last Friday to get some gen on the betting shop situation in our high street. Last night he let us know they would be filming this morning and were looking for locals to speak to camera in a bit of vox-pop to include in a half hour piece they are doing on betting shops, antisocial behaviour and the 2005 Gambling Act.
Michael Crick (Political Correspondent and co-founder of C4 News and ex-editor of Newsnight) was doing the interviewing and Dame Joan was coming at 11am to speak about the problems betting shops are causing in our area. It was a bit late notice to contact people who might want to air their views on record, and those not at work today weren't overly keen to speak to camera, fearing repercussions. The shopkeepers we spoke to later said they hadn't been approached – except one who spoke to them but hadn't wanted to be filmed. Another worried that all the bad press was not good for business.
A local who met up with the crew just before 1pm was told they already had enough footage. The production team have since told us they "had an extremely productive day". The film is scheduled to broadcast on 18th June.
Later today, in the afternoon heat, men were openly dealing drugs opposite ******** Betting Shop , despite (or perhaps because of) the recent drugs bust there. Meanwhile, the street drinkers were gathered in the sun on Reginald Road near the side entrance of ******* betting Shop, marking the first of their open air summer season parties (which go on every day till the betting shops close). A junkie was begging with his dog outside Greggs and yesterday, there was a rumpus when a couple of shoplifters met with some strong resistance at a pound shop in the vicinity, and were seen off with the help of other shopkeepers (police turned up too late).
Last week, some local residents had a meeting with representatives of ******** betting shop and ******** betting shop, convened by New Cross Safer Neighbourhoods Team. The residents wanted the bookies to reduce their opening hours and install some security guards – suggestions which met with blank looks from the bookmakers, who are incapable of admitting any real responsibility for the disturbances and crimes caused by their businesses. The onus remains on the police
ch4.co.uk
Britain's high streets are struggling to survive, but one business is booming; betting shops. On average one new bookie opens every week. In one London high street there are now 10 within yards and the locals are fed up.
What's driving this gambling boom and what's the impact on our communities? Michael Crick investigates the rise of High Street gambling. He hears from an apologetic politician who now admits they got the gambling laws wrong, and from those most affected by the spread of the betting shops
Tuesday May 22nd
http://crossfields.blogspot.ie
A researcher working for Channel 4's Dispatches (October Films) contacted Crosswhatfields last Friday to get some gen on the betting shop situation in our high street. Last night he let us know they would be filming this morning and were looking for locals to speak to camera in a bit of vox-pop to include in a half hour piece they are doing on betting shops, antisocial behaviour and the 2005 Gambling Act.
Michael Crick (Political Correspondent and co-founder of C4 News and ex-editor of Newsnight) was doing the interviewing and Dame Joan was coming at 11am to speak about the problems betting shops are causing in our area. It was a bit late notice to contact people who might want to air their views on record, and those not at work today weren't overly keen to speak to camera, fearing repercussions. The shopkeepers we spoke to later said they hadn't been approached – except one who spoke to them but hadn't wanted to be filmed. Another worried that all the bad press was not good for business.
A local who met up with the crew just before 1pm was told they already had enough footage. The production team have since told us they "had an extremely productive day". The film is scheduled to broadcast on 18th June.
Later today, in the afternoon heat, men were openly dealing drugs opposite ******** Betting Shop , despite (or perhaps because of) the recent drugs bust there. Meanwhile, the street drinkers were gathered in the sun on Reginald Road near the side entrance of ******* betting Shop, marking the first of their open air summer season parties (which go on every day till the betting shops close). A junkie was begging with his dog outside Greggs and yesterday, there was a rumpus when a couple of shoplifters met with some strong resistance at a pound shop in the vicinity, and were seen off with the help of other shopkeepers (police turned up too late).
Last week, some local residents had a meeting with representatives of ******** betting shop and ******** betting shop, convened by New Cross Safer Neighbourhoods Team. The residents wanted the bookies to reduce their opening hours and install some security guards – suggestions which met with blank looks from the bookmakers, who are incapable of admitting any real responsibility for the disturbances and crimes caused by their businesses. The onus remains on the police
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Replies: 353
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London 2012......
The biggest **** ehole in Western Europe.... Home to anyone who makes it across the Channel... |
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yes you've made your bed you'd better lie in it
otherwise DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT there are people laying down their lives in syria for what they believe in and us lot over here want the govt police council etc to do it for us |
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gaming machines are the problem here. its the ONLY reason betting shops survive on the high street. the fact is the nation in general has a problem with gambling especially it seems with gaming in shops and online. the solution in my opinion is remove betting terminals from shops and give back gaming to the casinos along with taxing online gaming like we do with other problem areas (smoking and drinking) and dare i say it tax all off course gambling and gaming inc on here! as this would assist with the problems experianced by british racecourses. to compare this problem with syria is just ridiculous duke. high streets are full of charity shops and empty premises too all as a result of the internet and the t****o monopoly. we cant do much about most things but the government has the power to tax gambling on line and off course should they chose to adress the problem.
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the goverment wont do anything about it ,they are makeing too much money from the pay offs from fobt,thats why there letting em have 6 machines per shop in the near future!! rich get richer ,poor get poorer,its so easy for them with addicts everywhere,they dont give a toss about the man on the street
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tell ch4 to come and interview me on the subject,ive got a few choice words id like to air
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im inclined to agree. the government has alot to answer to i think. sad state. maybe the gambling commission should adress the problem of vulnerable persons gambling instead of concentrating on a poxy unlicensed fobt or two
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http://www.channel4.com/news/michael-crick
You can tell him yourself, I have done. |
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Just out of interest has anyone ever busted these fobt's? By this I dont mean some system thats means them but someone found a flaw in the way they work?? surprised some whizzkid has not looked for a flaw in their make up
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Punters need to petition collectively about what is really happening in this industry.
One person screaming foul, that's just some nutter. A group of people making the same point - that's a movement... |
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Hardly a balanced portrayal of the industry. Programme is just a propaganda hatchet job for the small minority of anti gambling cranks.
Dispatches should be ashamed of themselves. |
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Oh look! heres clive82 riding to the rescue.
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Feel free to enlighten me how the bookies cause people to take drugs. If we close all the bookies will the drug dealing stop? Will the blame then be shifted to Greggs?
It seems that because the Bookies don't want people dealing drugs in their premises it is their fault they then do it in the street. |
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clive wearing his red badge with pride today, must have avoided the axe after todays results
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Revenue up 8.4%
Operating profit up 11% Profit befiore tax up 48.9% Hardly night of the long knives!! |
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FOBTs putting a massive sticking plaster over the festering boil that is Laddies results.
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clive82.....who said we want shops closed? cant see that anywhere on here.
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we dont want shops closed, we want the whole Laddies organisation nuked
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Most of the bookies shops in this part of the world are empty compared with say 5-10 years ago . Have not seen a new bookies anywhere here in the last 5 years ( other than changes of name , which is part of the reason for the emptier shops , less value and non local ownership ).
FOBT's should be moved to arcades as against bookies , and taxed out of existence . Dont understand anyone playing them regularly . Pernicious items , but as posted it suits government revenue , and its easily administered / counted . |
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P.S. I am not "anti gambling". But I believe that FOBT's prey on the vulnerable which no business should be proud of.
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FOBTs keep scum off the streets
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At last there seems to be a growing groundswell of public opinion against these rancid machines.
Hopefully the programme can increase the public perception of this evil. |
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Top post Shapeshifter - quite how those who work beyond shop level in the bookmaking industry look themselves in the mirror is beyond me...
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Someone representing punters should also stand against the horrible Philip Davies MP (who accepts hospitality from Ldbrks and benefits from a company run by the brother of Fred Done and then petitions for a relaxation on FOBT's) at the next election, imo...
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their media public persona of we serve the community, take over boarded up shops, create jobs, offer self exclusion and gamcare help.
whilst muttering under their breath "u cretinous mugs" |
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Blood suckers and vampires don't look in the mirror
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As we're reminiscing, I remember seeing a guy who had worked hard all morning, and on his lunch break decided to pop into the local LBO. He didn't fancy anything in the 13.07 at Crayford so he put a tenner (of his money!) in the FOBT. He played for 15mins and won £30. He printed his receipt and collected his winnings before returning to work.
He lived happily ever after. |
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Clive82, you are clearly an idiot, imho...
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Nobody has even broached the subject of money laundering through fobt's once which is quite frankly astounding. Where do the hierarchy think this money is coming from?
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Deptford, Gods little half acre
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One winner in the thousands of losers clive, well done.
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^ Clive you are a despicable individual - you failed to mention that time he dropped £500 off his debit card and couldn't pay his mortgage...
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SlippyBlue
Joined: 11 Jun 12 | Topic/replies: 1,156 | Blogger: SlippyBlue's blog Nobody has even broached the subject of money laundering through fobt's once which is quite frankly astounding. Where do the hierarchy think this money is coming from? One of the most astute and important points I have read on this forum for ages. Doubt Clive would be bothered mind... |
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Clive82 any chance of replying to the thread where the Sun exposed Ladbrokes breaking the Law by allowing underage children to play the FOBTS. What's being done to ensure this is not going to happen again. Surprised you have the time to appear on the forum, are you not busy organising trips to Goodwood for those decision makers you think can be influenced by a good glass of wine and some fine food. The last thing Michael Crick can be called is an anti gambling crank, rather an exposer of the plight of poor unfortunates whose lives are being ruined by the proliferation of outlets where their addiction can be exploited by firms such as Ladbrokes, and the effect of their criminal activities on society in order to satisfy their addiction and boost Ladbrokes and others profits. Per 2011 Ladbrokes Annual Report, 50 new shops opened in 2011, 60 new shop openings planned for 2012, a main fiscal goal for 2012 per Report, a reduction in staff costs. You don't need a lot of staff to man a High Street outlet when it's been turned around from a Bookmakers to an FOBT outlet.
Also on another thread on here, a current Ladbrokes shop manager, tells of being questioned on the phone by their area manager as to why the take was down on FOBTS and when told that a regular player had not been in for awhile, was told to find out why. Nice to see that Ladbrokes care about their customers, perhaps you could learn from this in relation to customer care, in a previous post by you, you said that if someone was refused a bet in a shop they could go elsewhere, oops, silly me that was someone looking to place a bet on a horse, where they had a chance of winning, and we know Ladbrokes don't want that sort in their shops. |
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Relax aviboyd, he won the Rainbow Riches competition at the weekend and won £10 of free play. Beside's its warm out and tents are going at a snip.
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^ I'm biting my way through the net as I type...
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Clive, your job at Laddies safe for at least another year ?
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Gandalf - so many questions so little time.
Suggest you have a look at the Gambling Act s46-49 before moralising too much about who has broken the law. Couple of washed up Labour crusaders who can't see the irony that it was their own party who passed the regulations they are so outraged about now. |