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At a time when the sport is already suffering financially as a result of the ban on spectators, choking off this income stream is disastrous
Leaders of the British racing and betting industries have joined forces to warn ministers of the financial consequences of them using "optics" rather than evidence in their decision to close betting shops in areas included in Tier Three anti-Covid-19 measures.
The warning came on the day that the gambling sector suffered another major blow with the closure of nearly 200 betting shops from Monday following Lancashire's move into the highest tier.
BHA chief executive Nick Rust and his counterpart at the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Michael Dugher have spoken of the potentially disastrous consequences if racing's income stream from the betting industry is choked off.
Dugher and Rust said they wanted to make clear they recognised the huge pressure ministers were facing but that they were surprised betting shops had been closed as they claimed the evidence showed high street retail had "very minimal impact" on the virus's reproduction rate.
In a joint article for the PoliticsHome website set to be published on Saturday, they added: "It is also incumbent upon us to point out where we think the government could better use evidence and science, rather than optics, to make its decisions and for it to be aware of the significant financial consequences of them."
This week, the Liverpool City region became the first in the UK to be placed into Tier 3, leading to the closure of 350 betting shops, which was heavily criticised by the Betting and Gaming Council.
There are around 430 betting shops in the Greater Manchester area, but plans to escalate the lockdown measures in the region to Tier 3 have not yet come to fruition following pressure from local leaders.
Between them the three areas generate £32.1 million for British racing through the betting levy and the media rights payments that shops pay for the right to show live racing, as part of the more than £200m a year which flows directly from the betting industry to horseracing.
"At a time when the sport is already suffering financially as a result of the ban on spectators, choking off this income stream is disastrous," Dugher and Rust said.
The article said the BHA was "under no illusions as to what's at stake", adding: "For the sake of our industry's long-term future, it is absolutely vital that the government listens."
The two chief executives warned that with the return of racegoers possibly delayed until next spring, the sport's finances were already under huge strain.
They went on: "If income from betting to racing is also jeopardised by the closure of betting shops, it puts further significant pressure on the emergency business model the industry has been forced to adopt."
Dugher and Rust warned that a contraction in British racing and a weakening in its international standing would have the knock-on effect of hitting the supply chains and jobs which British racing supports across the wider rural economy.
They concluded: "Our plea to the government is simple: Take an evidence-led approach to the crisis rather than one that too often looks like it is being made up as we go along and where 'optics' trump the science.
"Don’t punish betting shops – or casinos – for a rise in Covid cases which they have not contributed to. Instead, let them go about their business safely for the sake of the economy and the future of great British horseracing."
Separately, the BGC has asked the government to think again about closing betting shops and casinos in Lancashire where, unlike in Merseyside, gyms and leisure centres will be allowed to stay open even though betting shops and casinos are being ordered to close.
Dugher said: "From the beginning of the pandemic, betting shops and casinos have played their full role in the national effort to tackle this virus.
"It is therefore hugely disappointing that as they are starting to get back on their feet again, those venues in Merseyside and Lancashire have had the rug pulled from under them by the prime minister.
"And given the inconsistencies between the approaches in Liverpool and Lancashire when it comes to gyms and leisure centres, it gives the impression that ministers don't care about jobs in betting shops and casinos."
Leaders of the British racing and betting industries have joined forces to warn ministers of the financial consequences of them using "optics" rather than evidence in their decision to close betting shops in areas included in Tier Three anti-Covid-19 measures.
The warning came on the day that the gambling sector suffered another major blow with the closure of nearly 200 betting shops from Monday following Lancashire's move into the highest tier.
BHA chief executive Nick Rust and his counterpart at the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Michael Dugher have spoken of the potentially disastrous consequences if racing's income stream from the betting industry is choked off.
Dugher and Rust said they wanted to make clear they recognised the huge pressure ministers were facing but that they were surprised betting shops had been closed as they claimed the evidence showed high street retail had "very minimal impact" on the virus's reproduction rate.
In a joint article for the PoliticsHome website set to be published on Saturday, they added: "It is also incumbent upon us to point out where we think the government could better use evidence and science, rather than optics, to make its decisions and for it to be aware of the significant financial consequences of them."
This week, the Liverpool City region became the first in the UK to be placed into Tier 3, leading to the closure of 350 betting shops, which was heavily criticised by the Betting and Gaming Council.
There are around 430 betting shops in the Greater Manchester area, but plans to escalate the lockdown measures in the region to Tier 3 have not yet come to fruition following pressure from local leaders.
Between them the three areas generate £32.1 million for British racing through the betting levy and the media rights payments that shops pay for the right to show live racing, as part of the more than £200m a year which flows directly from the betting industry to horseracing.
"At a time when the sport is already suffering financially as a result of the ban on spectators, choking off this income stream is disastrous," Dugher and Rust said.
The article said the BHA was "under no illusions as to what's at stake", adding: "For the sake of our industry's long-term future, it is absolutely vital that the government listens."
The two chief executives warned that with the return of racegoers possibly delayed until next spring, the sport's finances were already under huge strain.
They went on: "If income from betting to racing is also jeopardised by the closure of betting shops, it puts further significant pressure on the emergency business model the industry has been forced to adopt."
Dugher and Rust warned that a contraction in British racing and a weakening in its international standing would have the knock-on effect of hitting the supply chains and jobs which British racing supports across the wider rural economy.
They concluded: "Our plea to the government is simple: Take an evidence-led approach to the crisis rather than one that too often looks like it is being made up as we go along and where 'optics' trump the science.
"Don’t punish betting shops – or casinos – for a rise in Covid cases which they have not contributed to. Instead, let them go about their business safely for the sake of the economy and the future of great British horseracing."
Separately, the BGC has asked the government to think again about closing betting shops and casinos in Lancashire where, unlike in Merseyside, gyms and leisure centres will be allowed to stay open even though betting shops and casinos are being ordered to close.
Dugher said: "From the beginning of the pandemic, betting shops and casinos have played their full role in the national effort to tackle this virus.
"It is therefore hugely disappointing that as they are starting to get back on their feet again, those venues in Merseyside and Lancashire have had the rug pulled from under them by the prime minister.
"And given the inconsistencies between the approaches in Liverpool and Lancashire when it comes to gyms and leisure centres, it gives the impression that ministers don't care about jobs in betting shops and casinos."
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Replies: 31
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shut them all..parasites..only get a bet if you're a loser.
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I wonder if anyone at the BHA has actually frequented one of these establishments of late?
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I struggle to see why it is an issue.
Has technology not sent these shops the way of the record shop , photo processing shop and many others. Like many I spent decades in bookies ,but I cannot even guess when the last time was. The fruit machines are not the big profit making excuse for shops existing any more. The young generation use their smart phones for everything. Do many people really go into shops to bet? I would have thought 90% of gambling was on the internet now...... am I way off in this thought? |
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what rust should have said was covids way down on a long list of things you can catch in a betting shop,more like posh crack dens these days
do you think rust has ever had to ask for THE KEY  |
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I find it decidedly odd that the BHA are making more noise about the issue of betting shops closing than they are about annual members and the public being actually permitted to attend race meetings. Perverse sense of priorities.
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>Do many people really go into shops to bet?
Last time I went in one (2012!) lots of grumpy pensioners & some loaded younger people playing the FOBTs (now gone as you point out) |
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i use half a dozen near me punts ,have got accounts and use them but i like cash ,winning on the computer is fine but its not the same as cash in yer hand !
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on the odd occasion i do get a winner i might add ^^^^^^^^^^^^
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626 punts
still plenty of good and busy shops about regarding the quiet ones if they are not making money gvc number crunchers would have closed them down. most shops still making money but as not as much as they used to. hope you are well have a nice day regards Ronnie. |
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Nice to hear from you Ronnie.
I presume the advantage of shops are social and the bookies not having all the data on you. |
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Ronnie, what about all the shops that opened during the FOBT 'boom'? Now they have lost that cash cow are they still making money?
I guess they take a lot of 50p e/w bets from the pensioners when I last was in one... (it all adds up). |
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bookies not having all the data on you
if you're any kind of danger they'll have a file on you, nice picture of you on the front of it - hello to all my pals at pp over in dublin by the way. hope you're all well. |
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if you ever want to change that photo of me on my file let me know, maybe one taken from the left side for a change (wasn't even feeling well the day you took that one. without my consent).
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Served out my punting apprenticeship in the bookies. No better place to learn about the game IMO.
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Every shop that has closed, might close in the future or is temporarily closed, has an effect on horse racing finances.
I just dont get the close them all arguement. If you dont like them dont go in them and like Ronnie days there are plenty still turning over a few quid. Punts where have you been, the majority of shops opened for the fobts are already gone |
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the govt could pay the takings from betting duty on horse racing to the bha.
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I presume the advantage of shops are social and the bookies not having all the data on you.
Absolutely even if you have to visit 3 shops to get 50ew on a 16/1 shot..... |
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As a horse racing fan and punter the British government must never fund horse racing. The money would be better spent elsewhere eg worthwhile social courses given the profitability of bookies, the low taxation level and the huge profits the bookies made form fobts over the last 2 decades.
The bookies must fund horse racing thro' a new more horse racing friendly Levy eg a tax on turnover (not profit) or rescind their licences to trade. I'm without doubt new operators can be found and are eagerly awaiting to enter the British market if the present ones are ejected. Horse racing can fund itself with a new forward looking competent head honcho unlike Mr Rust who's a bookie's friend. |
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If Liverpool and Manchester betting shops are closed this will cost racing £30 million via the levy.
Will the government step in? I doubt it. |
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Punts
Ladbroke and Coral staff will be getting full pay fair play from gvc. hope you are well have a good day regards Ronnie. |
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Yes that is very fair play from GVC
Also people have had it cushty for too long in the shops. Smelly people can sit in a bookmakers hog the paper, watch all the racing, sometimes even Sky Sports and talk absolute garbage all for free without placing a bet, maybe even a coffee. Add on top of this nowadays I feel you are much more likely to get a shop bet than a online bet. Surely the way for the shops to go from here is to offer poor value (which they already do) but let people have more on than currently, slide back towards an actual bookmaking model, who would of thought it. |
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Dugher said: "From the beginning of the pandemic, betting shops and casinos have played their full role in the national effort to tackle this virus.
Well they the bookies are not doing very well in Leicester at the moment loads of people in without masks or not wearing them properly mainly east european men also very rarely see the hand sanitisers used and i am only an in and out punter also i have seen very little of staff challenging or track and trace being used or machines furniture etc being cleaned |
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they may now consider taking bets online above 5p.
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my local betfred the size of your average greggs say24 ft by 12ft maximum allowed 15 people outrageous a lot of hot air spoken by bookmakers about there precautions.
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Sad to say some lads corals shops will be closing in the near future.
Ronnie. |
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Been in a Betfreds twice in the last fortnight which was over crowded. Fred likes to say "he likes to give valuue to his customers" well it's causing this particular shop to exceed its maximum limit on a Saturday morning (most customers without a face covering) and the staff are doing nowt!
Well I've informed the local authority and they plan a visit this Saturday and say they will shut the place if it is overcrowded and the staff (and Fred) are doing nowt about it!! |
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Another months holiday
Coming UP Courtesy of the government |
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sad to say a good few gvc shops will be locking the doors for the last time this evening.
regards Ronnie. |
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with more people bored at home and racing continuing to be shown , i don't think the shop closing will have a big impact at all.
Online bookmakers are bound to increase revenue and tempt people with offers and promotions to draw them into the casino and gaming platforms. |
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Hushwig
you are correct about the business but I think it will have a big impact on the decent people who will be loosing there living. regards Ronnie. |