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https://www.racingpost.com/news/features/the-big-read/its-like-a-social-club-meet-the-punters-who-fear-betting-shops-could-go-the-way-of-the-local-pub-a7wLG5T2LIIA/
With the future of betting shops up in the air, Chris Cook travels to Cheltenham to explore what their loss would mean
Chris Cook
Normally, there's a friendly enough reception when I introduce myself as a Racing Post journalist, but suddenly, in this branch of Betfred in Cheltenham's Brewery Quarter, I'm getting it in the neck. "You put people off, saying it needs further!"
The speaker is Rob Morris, a racing punter of almost 40 years' standing. I had been told that such people were no longer to be found in betting shops on quiet midweek afternoons but it turns out I was misinformed.
Rob is by no means angry, but he is animated, he certainly cares and he wants some assurance that I also care. The lads behind the counter have dipped their heads, but I can see shoulders shaking – it's fun for them that someone else is bearing the brunt for a change.
"You said it needs further, then it goes and wins! How can you say that about a horse when it absolutely romps up at 6-1?"
It's not quite clear which horse we're talking about, or which of my colleagues underestimated its raw pace, but I sympathise with Rob's ire. We've all been there. Horses make fools of us. This game would tame lions.
We don't dwell for long on that specific disaster because Rob has a range of points to make, now that he has the ear of a journalist. "Some of these trainers and jockeys should be hauled in. Why is this horse favourite and it's finished stone last?"
The stewards don't seem to have asked. It's a relief to find ourselves on the same page. In my republic, I assure Rob, stewards would always be curious about flopping favourites.
Cheltenham punter Rob Morris: "When I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it"
Cheltenham punter Rob Morris: "When I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it"
Credit: Edward Whitaker
John is Rob's friend, or perhaps "sparring partner" would be a better description. John urges me not to listen to Rob, whose betting has been going through a dry spell and whose nickname in the shop is supposedly Jonah.
I never learn John's nickname because he's out through the door before I can ask. You have to be suspicious of people who leave when someone else gets their notebook out.
It was his eight years in the army that turned Rob into a betting shop regular. Entertainment was in short supply when he was garrisoned at Catterick in the late 80s, but there was a little shop, where live pictures of racing offered a very new experience when he first wandered in.
"Now, when I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet," he says. "Just see what's running. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it."
There are five other shops within easy walking distance, but Rob prefers this one. "Because I have more fun with the lads behind the counter here. I get abused a lot more." The cashiers protest: surely, he comes in for the friendly service?
"It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful" - punters enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
"It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful" - punters enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'They're brighter, bolder places – but people are busier'
Shop staff are grateful for characters like Rob because there would be some quiet afternoons without them. During my day wandering around the bookies of Cheltenham, it was common to find just one other customer watching the racing, while maybe a couple of others tackled the gaming machines.
It seems perverse, considering how much more welcoming shops are these days than when I first pushed through the dangling strips of plastic at a branch of Morrisons in Clermiston more than 30 years ago. It was dark, dingy and unfriendly. Often, the only thing to look at was the flickering prices on the small number of screens. Yet it was always busy.
Now, the walls of every shop are plastered with screens, some of which offer an electronic version of the Racing Post. As well as the horses, dogs and virtual action, they also show whatever alternative sports are happening at the time. Over the top of Rob's head, I could see Elena Rybakina thumping forehands past Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Free tea and coffee are often available, which was specifically illegal back when I started. Betting shops have never been more pleasant places to pass the time but, like so many other shops, they're nevertheless much quieter than in the past.
Howard Chisholm, who manages the Chisholm chain of shops in the north-east, is good at explaining the phenomenon.
"At the turn of the century, the only place you could see live horseracing during the day would have been in a betting shop,” he says. “Now you've got your mobile phone and your satellite channels, you can watch the racing anywhere. So there's less emphasis on people turning up into betting shops in the afternoons. If you go in the shops, they'll be busy in the morning with morning trade, busy at lunchtime with people on their breaks, and then there'll be a quiet period from 2pm to 4pm.
"It's not good in the afternoons. But lunchtimes and teatimes, when people are on their way home from work, they're still busy."
What about the major meetings? "They're definitely busier. You will get customers taking a week off for Cheltenham simply to watch it in the betting shop or the pub next door and they'll have a good week betting. The Grand National is quieter, if I'm honest. Online is so much busier now and people are so used to using their phones for every financial transaction."
Chisholm started working in betting shops in 1976, when they still carried the thrill of novelty, just 15 years after legalisation.
"In those days the culture was recreational, time-consuming, you had customers who would be in all afternoon. There wasn't the volume of races, so they would be chatting between races.
"Now it's far more automated, there's technology in the shops, they're brighter, bolder places. But people are so much busier, they don't have the time to spend in shops. Even retired people, a lot of them are running around after grandkids all day. It's a different world."
A punter studies the form at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
A punter studies the form at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'I come in every day, if I can'
Numbers may be down but people, as well as Rob and John, are still spending time in betting shops. Further east on Cheltenham's High Street, a well-dressed and tastefully named gentleman, Chris, is poring over a paper copy of the Post in a branch of Paddy Power.
He is worried to read about so many betting shops being at risk of closure. "I'm not an online man so it would be disastrous for me. I'm 83, so I like the presence of a shop, where you can amble around and freewheel – whereas a machine is impersonal and I don't like it and I can't work it out very easily."
A retired broadcaster, he likes to shuttle between Power's and a William Hill over the road. "You can be discerning about which has the best offer for a race."
But he misses the small independents, citing the Stephen Hearle shop in a smart, residential area on the town's northern edge. "They were very chummy little places, especially for the lonely punter. He could roll in there on a Saturday morning with his Lucky 15 bet, have a chat, have a coffee and feel that he was in the local pub. I think all that's over now.
"The betting shop is very similar to the local pub, and look at the number of pubs that have closed in the last few years."
Most of Cheltenham's betting shops are on the high street, while the two I can recall that closed in recent years were further out from the centre. But a branch of Coral seems to be thriving among the butchers and artisan bakers up on the Bath Road, the closest thing Cheltenham can offer to a Boho quarter.
The manager says he has six or seven racing punters who come in most days, any two of whom can sit down together and chat. On this particular day it is Roy Prout and Nick Long who occupy the seats of honour in front of the big screen.
"I come in every day, if I can," Roy says. "It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful."
Retired now, he always used to drop in on his way home during his working days.
"You still get busy times, especially at weekends. If there's good racing on, it gets very busy in the morning, then people go home and watch it on television."
That wouldn't be for Roy; he likes the company. "I'd go mad if I couldn't come in here."
"It's like a social club," Nick says. "I lived out in the Cotswolds all my life, and you went to the pub. I now live in Cheltenham, so I come here, with him and one or two others. It's a meeting place."
Those who support a rise in taxes that would threaten the future of betting shops like this should meet people like Roy and Nick and consider the societal value of a place for them to gather and chat through the day, keeping each other smiling. The government surely wouldn't care to foot the bill if it became necessary to replicate all the good work done by betting shops for retired people.
Regular Coral punter Nick Long: "It's like a social club,
Regular Coral punter Nick Long: "It's a meeting place," he says of his local betting shop
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'If the government listens, I'd be reasonably confident'
Roy and Nick, Rob and John are not deep-pocketed guys, but they make their contribution. Along with the punters who flit in and out when they can, they add up to quite a healthy source of business, even if so many others have migrated online.
There are fewer shops these days, numbering 5,931 according to the Gambling Commission's latest count. That's down 23 per cent on the period immediately before the first Covid lockdown. Back in March 2014, there were more than 9,000.
Still, those that remain represent quite a viable business and do not deserve to be spoken of dismissively by those who never spend time in them. There have been reports this summer of Bar One Racing seeking to buy a three-figure number of shops from rivals in Ireland. **** reportedly have an aggressive three-year plan that also includes the acquisition of a large number of shops, including in the UK.
As recently as last year, Jenningsbet were also in expansionist mood, buying up 40 shops across the Midlands and South Yorkshire from the Leicester-based firm Mark Jarvis, taking their estate to a total of 186 shops. "There was a feeling of confidence that we could grow," says Greg Knight, owner and chief executive of Jenningsbet. But, because of the risk of an increase in taxes on bookmakers, he now feels "far less confident".
"There was a lot of pressure over the last 12 months anyway but, obviously, depending on what comes out of the budget, that will determine where we go from here on in.
"If the government listens to what the land-based betting sector is saying, then I would be reasonably confident of the future. Any tax increases, at any level, would result in shop closures. The more severe the tax rises, if they come, the more shops will close."
Leading independent bookmaker warns 'there will be nothing left to tax' if gambling duties are hiked in autumn budget
It has become a familiar point. All the major firms have warned of the likelihood of shop closures if taxes on bookmakers are raised, with Fred Done going so far as to say that all 1,272 Betfred shops are at risk.
It means that racing's income remains under serious threat, despite reports that the government intends to spare the sport from gambling duty increases. If, as is anticipated, duty on gaming machines is increased, that will affect the viability of betting shops, since machines are now reckoned to account for half of gross gambling yield in shops.
"An increase [in machine duty] would certainly accelerate the closure of betting shops," says Chisholm. "You couldn't see all the major chains continuing to trade all their tail shops. They'll take a decision on which shops to close and we would do the same."
So-called 'tail' shops are the less successful ones. Done has said he continues to operate 300 shops which are losing money. He estimates that a five per cent increase in machine games duty would leave him with 430 loss-making shops.
Fred Done warns all Betfred shops may close with 7,500 jobs at risk if gambling taxes hiked
If those shops and others in a similar position with other firms were to be closed, racing would suffer a direct loss of income. Media rights payments are made for each shop, in respect of the racing pictures shown there every day, and each shop also generates levy payments insofar as it contributes to the firm's profit from racing bets.
Bookmakers make a broad-axe calculation of how much the average shop generates for racing each year. It starts with the widely quoted figure of £350 million which betting pays racing. A recent blog from analysts Regulus Partners asserts that betting shops are responsible for roughly 40 per cent of racing’s betting-related revenue. Forty per cent of £350 million is £140 million. Dividing that by 5,931 shops gives a figure of more than £23,000 produced annually for racing by the average shop.
On that basis, closing Done's 300 losing shops could cost racing £6.9 million per year. It ought to be less in reality, since those shops by definition are making less money than the average. But the point is made. Betting shop closures are expensive for racing, while also removing its literal shop windows in towns and cities.
'Any hit on the high street is going to close betting shops'
"There is nowhere, other than a betting shop, that connects racing to the ordinary working man on the street," Knight says. "And that connection is still strong.
"We still maintain that horseracing is the primary interest of our customers and you'll find that that's far more the case than it is online.
"It's a symbiotic relationship, one needs the other. So that's why it's particularly disappointing to hear major people in racing almost writing off betting shops as something in the past, because they're certainly not. They still make a huge contribution to racing.
"We act as a community hub. On any given afternoon you'll find people in there discussing racing, trainers, jockeys. But we couldn't survive on horseracing alone. If the other products are made unprofitable, it'll be horseracing that suffers.
"You can't raise gambling taxes and horseracing walks away unscathed. Not a chance."
Those comments find an echo at Betfred, where Mark Pearson, head of corporate affairs, says: "There'll be plenty of people this afternoon sat in our shops, from Penzance to Aberdeen, watching the racing with their mates.
"In shops, racing is still king. You'll have wall-to-wall coverage, race previews, and we absolutely hammered our sponsorship of the Classics this year. We're all over the big festivals – this year we've had live shows from York, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Ascot. But betting shops on the high street are in a very, very fragile situation, because of costs including media rights and the levy.
"Any hit on the high street is going to close betting shops. And once they're closed, they're not coming back."
With the future of betting shops up in the air, Chris Cook travels to Cheltenham to explore what their loss would mean
Chris Cook
Normally, there's a friendly enough reception when I introduce myself as a Racing Post journalist, but suddenly, in this branch of Betfred in Cheltenham's Brewery Quarter, I'm getting it in the neck. "You put people off, saying it needs further!"
The speaker is Rob Morris, a racing punter of almost 40 years' standing. I had been told that such people were no longer to be found in betting shops on quiet midweek afternoons but it turns out I was misinformed.
Rob is by no means angry, but he is animated, he certainly cares and he wants some assurance that I also care. The lads behind the counter have dipped their heads, but I can see shoulders shaking – it's fun for them that someone else is bearing the brunt for a change.
"You said it needs further, then it goes and wins! How can you say that about a horse when it absolutely romps up at 6-1?"
It's not quite clear which horse we're talking about, or which of my colleagues underestimated its raw pace, but I sympathise with Rob's ire. We've all been there. Horses make fools of us. This game would tame lions.
We don't dwell for long on that specific disaster because Rob has a range of points to make, now that he has the ear of a journalist. "Some of these trainers and jockeys should be hauled in. Why is this horse favourite and it's finished stone last?"
The stewards don't seem to have asked. It's a relief to find ourselves on the same page. In my republic, I assure Rob, stewards would always be curious about flopping favourites.
Cheltenham punter Rob Morris: "When I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it"
Cheltenham punter Rob Morris: "When I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it"
Credit: Edward Whitaker
John is Rob's friend, or perhaps "sparring partner" would be a better description. John urges me not to listen to Rob, whose betting has been going through a dry spell and whose nickname in the shop is supposedly Jonah.
I never learn John's nickname because he's out through the door before I can ask. You have to be suspicious of people who leave when someone else gets their notebook out.
It was his eight years in the army that turned Rob into a betting shop regular. Entertainment was in short supply when he was garrisoned at Catterick in the late 80s, but there was a little shop, where live pictures of racing offered a very new experience when he first wandered in.
"Now, when I finish work, I come in, pass a bit of time, have a bet," he says. "Just see what's running. If I fancy a horse, I'll back it."
There are five other shops within easy walking distance, but Rob prefers this one. "Because I have more fun with the lads behind the counter here. I get abused a lot more." The cashiers protest: surely, he comes in for the friendly service?
"It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful" - punters enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
"It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful" - punters enjoy a relaxed atmosphere at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'They're brighter, bolder places – but people are busier'
Shop staff are grateful for characters like Rob because there would be some quiet afternoons without them. During my day wandering around the bookies of Cheltenham, it was common to find just one other customer watching the racing, while maybe a couple of others tackled the gaming machines.
It seems perverse, considering how much more welcoming shops are these days than when I first pushed through the dangling strips of plastic at a branch of Morrisons in Clermiston more than 30 years ago. It was dark, dingy and unfriendly. Often, the only thing to look at was the flickering prices on the small number of screens. Yet it was always busy.
Now, the walls of every shop are plastered with screens, some of which offer an electronic version of the Racing Post. As well as the horses, dogs and virtual action, they also show whatever alternative sports are happening at the time. Over the top of Rob's head, I could see Elena Rybakina thumping forehands past Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Free tea and coffee are often available, which was specifically illegal back when I started. Betting shops have never been more pleasant places to pass the time but, like so many other shops, they're nevertheless much quieter than in the past.
Howard Chisholm, who manages the Chisholm chain of shops in the north-east, is good at explaining the phenomenon.
"At the turn of the century, the only place you could see live horseracing during the day would have been in a betting shop,” he says. “Now you've got your mobile phone and your satellite channels, you can watch the racing anywhere. So there's less emphasis on people turning up into betting shops in the afternoons. If you go in the shops, they'll be busy in the morning with morning trade, busy at lunchtime with people on their breaks, and then there'll be a quiet period from 2pm to 4pm.
"It's not good in the afternoons. But lunchtimes and teatimes, when people are on their way home from work, they're still busy."
What about the major meetings? "They're definitely busier. You will get customers taking a week off for Cheltenham simply to watch it in the betting shop or the pub next door and they'll have a good week betting. The Grand National is quieter, if I'm honest. Online is so much busier now and people are so used to using their phones for every financial transaction."
Chisholm started working in betting shops in 1976, when they still carried the thrill of novelty, just 15 years after legalisation.
"In those days the culture was recreational, time-consuming, you had customers who would be in all afternoon. There wasn't the volume of races, so they would be chatting between races.
"Now it's far more automated, there's technology in the shops, they're brighter, bolder places. But people are so much busier, they don't have the time to spend in shops. Even retired people, a lot of them are running around after grandkids all day. It's a different world."
A punter studies the form at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
A punter studies the form at Coral bookmakers in Cheltenham
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'I come in every day, if I can'
Numbers may be down but people, as well as Rob and John, are still spending time in betting shops. Further east on Cheltenham's High Street, a well-dressed and tastefully named gentleman, Chris, is poring over a paper copy of the Post in a branch of Paddy Power.
He is worried to read about so many betting shops being at risk of closure. "I'm not an online man so it would be disastrous for me. I'm 83, so I like the presence of a shop, where you can amble around and freewheel – whereas a machine is impersonal and I don't like it and I can't work it out very easily."
A retired broadcaster, he likes to shuttle between Power's and a William Hill over the road. "You can be discerning about which has the best offer for a race."
But he misses the small independents, citing the Stephen Hearle shop in a smart, residential area on the town's northern edge. "They were very chummy little places, especially for the lonely punter. He could roll in there on a Saturday morning with his Lucky 15 bet, have a chat, have a coffee and feel that he was in the local pub. I think all that's over now.
"The betting shop is very similar to the local pub, and look at the number of pubs that have closed in the last few years."
Most of Cheltenham's betting shops are on the high street, while the two I can recall that closed in recent years were further out from the centre. But a branch of Coral seems to be thriving among the butchers and artisan bakers up on the Bath Road, the closest thing Cheltenham can offer to a Boho quarter.
The manager says he has six or seven racing punters who come in most days, any two of whom can sit down together and chat. On this particular day it is Roy Prout and Nick Long who occupy the seats of honour in front of the big screen.
"I come in every day, if I can," Roy says. "It's clean, it's warm. The staff are wonderful."
Retired now, he always used to drop in on his way home during his working days.
"You still get busy times, especially at weekends. If there's good racing on, it gets very busy in the morning, then people go home and watch it on television."
That wouldn't be for Roy; he likes the company. "I'd go mad if I couldn't come in here."
"It's like a social club," Nick says. "I lived out in the Cotswolds all my life, and you went to the pub. I now live in Cheltenham, so I come here, with him and one or two others. It's a meeting place."
Those who support a rise in taxes that would threaten the future of betting shops like this should meet people like Roy and Nick and consider the societal value of a place for them to gather and chat through the day, keeping each other smiling. The government surely wouldn't care to foot the bill if it became necessary to replicate all the good work done by betting shops for retired people.
Regular Coral punter Nick Long: "It's like a social club,
Regular Coral punter Nick Long: "It's a meeting place," he says of his local betting shop
Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
'If the government listens, I'd be reasonably confident'
Roy and Nick, Rob and John are not deep-pocketed guys, but they make their contribution. Along with the punters who flit in and out when they can, they add up to quite a healthy source of business, even if so many others have migrated online.
There are fewer shops these days, numbering 5,931 according to the Gambling Commission's latest count. That's down 23 per cent on the period immediately before the first Covid lockdown. Back in March 2014, there were more than 9,000.
Still, those that remain represent quite a viable business and do not deserve to be spoken of dismissively by those who never spend time in them. There have been reports this summer of Bar One Racing seeking to buy a three-figure number of shops from rivals in Ireland. **** reportedly have an aggressive three-year plan that also includes the acquisition of a large number of shops, including in the UK.
As recently as last year, Jenningsbet were also in expansionist mood, buying up 40 shops across the Midlands and South Yorkshire from the Leicester-based firm Mark Jarvis, taking their estate to a total of 186 shops. "There was a feeling of confidence that we could grow," says Greg Knight, owner and chief executive of Jenningsbet. But, because of the risk of an increase in taxes on bookmakers, he now feels "far less confident".
"There was a lot of pressure over the last 12 months anyway but, obviously, depending on what comes out of the budget, that will determine where we go from here on in.
"If the government listens to what the land-based betting sector is saying, then I would be reasonably confident of the future. Any tax increases, at any level, would result in shop closures. The more severe the tax rises, if they come, the more shops will close."
Leading independent bookmaker warns 'there will be nothing left to tax' if gambling duties are hiked in autumn budget
It has become a familiar point. All the major firms have warned of the likelihood of shop closures if taxes on bookmakers are raised, with Fred Done going so far as to say that all 1,272 Betfred shops are at risk.
It means that racing's income remains under serious threat, despite reports that the government intends to spare the sport from gambling duty increases. If, as is anticipated, duty on gaming machines is increased, that will affect the viability of betting shops, since machines are now reckoned to account for half of gross gambling yield in shops.
"An increase [in machine duty] would certainly accelerate the closure of betting shops," says Chisholm. "You couldn't see all the major chains continuing to trade all their tail shops. They'll take a decision on which shops to close and we would do the same."
So-called 'tail' shops are the less successful ones. Done has said he continues to operate 300 shops which are losing money. He estimates that a five per cent increase in machine games duty would leave him with 430 loss-making shops.
Fred Done warns all Betfred shops may close with 7,500 jobs at risk if gambling taxes hiked
If those shops and others in a similar position with other firms were to be closed, racing would suffer a direct loss of income. Media rights payments are made for each shop, in respect of the racing pictures shown there every day, and each shop also generates levy payments insofar as it contributes to the firm's profit from racing bets.
Bookmakers make a broad-axe calculation of how much the average shop generates for racing each year. It starts with the widely quoted figure of £350 million which betting pays racing. A recent blog from analysts Regulus Partners asserts that betting shops are responsible for roughly 40 per cent of racing’s betting-related revenue. Forty per cent of £350 million is £140 million. Dividing that by 5,931 shops gives a figure of more than £23,000 produced annually for racing by the average shop.
On that basis, closing Done's 300 losing shops could cost racing £6.9 million per year. It ought to be less in reality, since those shops by definition are making less money than the average. But the point is made. Betting shop closures are expensive for racing, while also removing its literal shop windows in towns and cities.
'Any hit on the high street is going to close betting shops'
"There is nowhere, other than a betting shop, that connects racing to the ordinary working man on the street," Knight says. "And that connection is still strong.
"We still maintain that horseracing is the primary interest of our customers and you'll find that that's far more the case than it is online.
"It's a symbiotic relationship, one needs the other. So that's why it's particularly disappointing to hear major people in racing almost writing off betting shops as something in the past, because they're certainly not. They still make a huge contribution to racing.
"We act as a community hub. On any given afternoon you'll find people in there discussing racing, trainers, jockeys. But we couldn't survive on horseracing alone. If the other products are made unprofitable, it'll be horseracing that suffers.
"You can't raise gambling taxes and horseracing walks away unscathed. Not a chance."
Those comments find an echo at Betfred, where Mark Pearson, head of corporate affairs, says: "There'll be plenty of people this afternoon sat in our shops, from Penzance to Aberdeen, watching the racing with their mates.
"In shops, racing is still king. You'll have wall-to-wall coverage, race previews, and we absolutely hammered our sponsorship of the Classics this year. We're all over the big festivals – this year we've had live shows from York, Doncaster, Cheltenham, Ascot. But betting shops on the high street are in a very, very fragile situation, because of costs including media rights and the levy.
"Any hit on the high street is going to close betting shops. And once they're closed, they're not coming back."
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2005 was the last time I managed a betting shop.
The decline began around there.
Decent punters moved out and replaced by the nutters spinning wheels, either finding it easier than visiting casinos (where they had to become a member) or cleaning bent money.
A massive closure of shops is an inevitability.
Denise & co couldn't give a flying f4rt.
They'll start raping the foreigners.
The decline began around there.
Decent punters moved out and replaced by the nutters spinning wheels, either finding it easier than visiting casinos (where they had to become a member) or cleaning bent money.
A massive closure of shops is an inevitability.
Denise & co couldn't give a flying f4rt.
They'll start raping the foreigners.
Went in to Ladbrokes early this morning. Was accosted by this poor sod who had just done his money on a greyhound, he was looking wild eyed god knows what he was like later that morning.
Chris Cook sounds like he hasn't spoke to a punter in recent times.
Wouldn't blame him to be honest. Joints are no go areas for those interested in horse racing as they have long migrated to online betting.
If you're deluded enough to believe those machine haven't ruined betting shops, you need a check-up from the neck up.
Stand alone Betting shops are dead.
The big boys have already prepared for the next phase.
Wouldn't blame him to be honest. Joints are no go areas for those interested in horse racing as they have long migrated to online betting.
If you're deluded enough to believe those machine haven't ruined betting shops, you need a check-up from the neck up.
Stand alone Betting shops are dead.
The big boys have already prepared for the next phase.
Leif.
Tonight in the shop it was full of cranks I have seen better dressed people under Waterloo Bridge the wife over supper said How's it going I said to her I am not enjoying it she said retire will have a long think about it.Hopeyou are well.
Ronnie.
Tonight in the shop it was full of cranks I have seen better dressed people under Waterloo Bridge the wife over supper said How's it going I said to her I am not enjoying it she said retire will have a long think about it.Hopeyou are well.
Ronnie.
"It's like a social club," Nick says. "I lived out in the Cotswolds all my life, and you went to the pub. I now live in Cheltenham, so I come here, with him and one or two others. It's a meeting place
Rose tinted bollix from cookie?
Shops were meeting places pre crack-cocaine machine times, but not now.
It's why they are empty.
Ypou just have the nutters there spinning wheels.
Betting shops are empty
Bookies don't care. They have 10/20/50 year plans.
Rose tinted bollix from cookie?
Shops were meeting places pre crack-cocaine machine times, but not now.
It's why they are empty.
Ypou just have the nutters there spinning wheels.
Betting shops are empty
Bookies don't care. They have 10/20/50 year plans.
2017 showed me that I couldn't get money on in the Shops even with Teams
Leif, it depends on where you live
My local shop in a Somerset town is a bit like the Cheltenham one in the article
Everyone knows each other's name and it's a good craic,discussing the day's racing, not withstanding some others are doing their conkers on the machines, but it's like two distinct groups of people
However, 25 miles away in Bristol, there are some shops that I wouldn't want to be in
My local shop in a Somerset town is a bit like the Cheltenham one in the article
Everyone knows each other's name and it's a good craic,discussing the day's racing, not withstanding some others are doing their conkers on the machines, but it's like two distinct groups of people
However, 25 miles away in Bristol, there are some shops that I wouldn't want to be in
Ronnie,
Take your wife's advice and get out of it, unless you're confident you will get a redundancy payout in the near future, and to be fair you may get one the way things are going.
The Autumn budget could accelerate the demise of the bricks and mortar, you know it's the one you've been witnessing for the past couple of decades.
I reckon you've been resillient enough to suffer the slings and arrows to hang on at least another 12 month or so.
Good Luck and good health.
Take your wife's advice and get out of it, unless you're confident you will get a redundancy payout in the near future, and to be fair you may get one the way things are going.
The Autumn budget could accelerate the demise of the bricks and mortar, you know it's the one you've been witnessing for the past couple of decades.
I reckon you've been resillient enough to suffer the slings and arrows to hang on at least another 12 month or so.
Good Luck and good health.
BTW
Had the misfortune of being in Ronnie's position as an LBO manager.
How he has lasted so long is testament to his resillience and fortitude.
Yes, you get to deal with some top notch people but there are those that would sell their granny for a fiver.
"Can I just have a ton bet on the slate?"
You know I am good for it
Never to be seen again as you have to top up the shop's float to reconcile that co0n'ts pledge.
Witnessed many a manager walk the plank as a result of misplaced trust.
Had the misfortune of being in Ronnie's position as an LBO manager.
How he has lasted so long is testament to his resillience and fortitude.
Yes, you get to deal with some top notch people but there are those that would sell their granny for a fiver.
"Can I just have a ton bet on the slate?"
You know I am good for it
Never to be seen again as you have to top up the shop's float to reconcile that co0n'ts pledge.
Witnessed many a manager walk the plank as a result of misplaced trust.
interesting he says shops are more welcoming these days, i have found the exact opposite
To be fair he compared the 'welcome' of these days to that of "30 years ago".
He'll be ignorant of the fact that 'welcoming' visitors
into your shop into a friendlier environment meant removing the 'bandit screens' that seperated you from the odd nutter or robber.
I know of several people that got mugged at knifepoint when the screens were taken down (one was murdered when the guy had unfettered access).
Many a bookie has operated using one member of staff during evening racing trying to cut costs.
C*** of a vocation
He'll be ignorant of the fact that 'welcoming' visitors
into your shop into a friendlier environment meant removing the 'bandit screens' that seperated you from the odd nutter or robber.I know of several people that got mugged at knifepoint when the screens were taken down (one was murdered when the guy had unfettered access).
Many a bookie has operated using one member of staff during evening racing trying to cut costs.
C*** of a vocation
"It's like a social club," Nick says.
That bint who promotes one of those Bingo says "it's a community"
Cookie has disappeared up his own 4rse, using anecdotal bollix
fairy tales.
That bint who promotes one of those Bingo says "it's a community"
Cookie has disappeared up his own 4rse, using anecdotal bollix
fairy tales.
From article in OP:-
There are fewer shops these days, numbering 5,931 according to the Gambling Commission's latest count. That's down 23 per cent on the period immediately before the first Covid lockdown. Back in March 2014, there were more than 9,000.
So not all down to Rachel Reeves.
There are fewer shops these days, numbering 5,931 according to the Gambling Commission's latest count. That's down 23 per cent on the period immediately before the first Covid lockdown. Back in March 2014, there were more than 9,000.
So not all down to Rachel Reeves.
Not Rachael Reeves yet but if she adds a new betting tax to the affordability checks the rate of decline will increase again. There is a strong wind blowing against gambling in our increasingly puritanical political landscape.
There is indeed but that wind was sown by the betting companies with their highly addictive FOBTs in high streets and online, and even their wall-to-wall advertising on television and social media.
And it has worked for them. Profits are up, share prices are up, and they are expanding into America and elsewhere.
And it has worked for them. Profits are up, share prices are up, and they are expanding into America and elsewhere.
Ramruma.
GVC Entain shares have crashed over the last few shares I bought some at over a score.
Have a good day.Ronnie.
GVC Entain shares have crashed over the last few shares I bought some at over a score.
Have a good day.Ronnie.
I walked past by my local bookies (one of big 4) half an hour ago. Four posters in the window, 2 x Soccer Betbuilders and 2 x Casino Bonus. No mention of taking Horse Racing bets and shop empty.
Agree @Ronnie, the game’s gone just like the working man and like the the dogs.
Same reasoning for both sports.
Well done to those who can make the overloaded daily dross of Class 6 races pay, and to those who can’t why are you still betting on it?
Same for those doing Betbuilders and Casino
Agree @Ronnie, the game’s gone just like the working man and like the the dogs.
Same reasoning for both sports.
Well done to those who can make the overloaded daily dross of Class 6 races pay, and to those who can’t why are you still betting on it?
Same for those doing Betbuilders and Casino
I live in Cheltenham and know all the shops Cook cites.
I go in them from time to time mainly to read the trade paper, occasionally to have a bet as I can't get on online. Inevitably visits are in the morning. The places will have, at the absolute maximum, 3/4 other people most on the FOBTs. I recall going into the Badblokes main shop on the Saturday of the Cheltenham October meeting earlier this year. There was not a single other punter (might be my presence I concede) but there were two disinterested staff behind the counter.
I fear Cook has been coerced into writing a favourable piece because what he says does not reflect my observed experience .
I go in them from time to time mainly to read the trade paper, occasionally to have a bet as I can't get on online. Inevitably visits are in the morning. The places will have, at the absolute maximum, 3/4 other people most on the FOBTs. I recall going into the Badblokes main shop on the Saturday of the Cheltenham October meeting earlier this year. There was not a single other punter (might be my presence I concede) but there were two disinterested staff behind the counter.
I fear Cook has been coerced into writing a favourable piece because what he says does not reflect my observed experience .
Paris.
I would ask for long odds they wouldn't smile or speak to you I called in to watch the last race on the Friday didn't even look up.
Hope you are well.
Ronnie.
I would ask for long odds they wouldn't smile or speak to you I called in to watch the last race on the Friday didn't even look up.
Hope you are well.
Ronnie.
PP .Google Corals Cockerton Darlington.
Still SOME freindly staff about.
Still SOME freindly staff about.
I quite fancy the gig....
No two days are the same, but your main responsibilities will include:
Processing customers’ bets in a timely and attentive manner.
Attending to all customer queries quickly and knowledgeably.
Engaging customers with expert knowledge of our products and promotions
Supporting key promotional events throughout the sporting calendar.
Maintaining a well-presented environment which customers love to be a part of.
Being a team player – collaboration is key to improving the customer experience.
Handling cash transactions with the upmost care and accuracy.
Following our Think 25 policy and adhering to our age verification processes.
We are here to help you realise your individual goals. To kick off your Betfred journey, we will provide you with a structured training programme, all aimed at helping you settle into your new role as quickly as possible. By the end of the programme, you will be ready to open and close the Betfred shop and be all set for life in your role as Assistant Sales Manager.
£12.25 an hour, and after training I get the keys to the shop and a fancy title. What's not to like?
No two days are the same, but your main responsibilities will include:
Processing customers’ bets in a timely and attentive manner.
Attending to all customer queries quickly and knowledgeably.
Engaging customers with expert knowledge of our products and promotions
Supporting key promotional events throughout the sporting calendar.
Maintaining a well-presented environment which customers love to be a part of.
Being a team player – collaboration is key to improving the customer experience.
Handling cash transactions with the upmost care and accuracy.
Following our Think 25 policy and adhering to our age verification processes.
We are here to help you realise your individual goals. To kick off your Betfred journey, we will provide you with a structured training programme, all aimed at helping you settle into your new role as quickly as possible. By the end of the programme, you will be ready to open and close the Betfred shop and be all set for life in your role as Assistant Sales Manager.
£12.25 an hour, and after training I get the keys to the shop and a fancy title. What's not to like?
i rarely go in a shop nowadays , maybe for a quick read of the post , but when i was in a paddy mcr shop some time ago the employee,s ' main responsibility' appeared to be trying to persuade some herbert that kicking and thumping the roulette machine was unlikely to make him richer .
I'd hate to be asking my best customers for documents proving their ability to wager so much per month after a run of losses.
One guy was doing £5 and £10 Lucky 31s every other weekend.
Had to 'log' his bets, but the company was more than happy taking his money.
He wouldn't last the strawberry season. Never asked what he did for a living and he never divulged.
Spotted him walking out of a swanky office in the town on one occasion, dressed in a very smart whistle and with other lawyer/Legal types.
One guy was doing £5 and £10 Lucky 31s every other weekend.
Had to 'log' his bets, but the company was more than happy taking his money.
He wouldn't last the strawberry season. Never asked what he did for a living and he never divulged.
Spotted him walking out of a swanky office in the town on one occasion, dressed in a very smart whistle and with other lawyer/Legal types.
that job is for 25 hours a week, no wonder half the country is on universal credit.
2017 showed me that I couldn't get money on in the Shops even with Teams
Correct issue irons.
Quite amazing he can write this sentimental drivel, lengthy article, and not even mention the issue of bookies refusing to take people's bets!
Correct issue irons.
Quite amazing he can write this sentimental drivel, lengthy article, and not even mention the issue of bookies refusing to take people's bets!
Bang on minimum wage by the look of it(Londinium Weighting excepted)
betting help, where is this wonder shop please? because all I get is...
Processing customers’ bets in a timely and attentive manner......
"Sorry you've missed that price" - "Wouldn't have if you hadn't been on your phone or gassing to your colleague"
"That bet was late" - "Probably because you were fiddling with your phone whilst I was at the counter" - "you should get up to the counter earlier then" - "I was, 5 minutes before the race went off actually"
Attending to all customer queries quickly and knowledgeably.....
"How many trebles in 6 horses? - "Got no idea, I'll phone a friend"
Write your bet out and don't fill in the total stake box - "how much is that bet"? - "It's a £1 Lucky 15 FFS" - "Well I don't know, fill in the total stake box next time".
"How did I only get £3.50 off that bet?" - "No idea, thats what the computer says"
I'm sure you can add more, because not many of the newer staff I have encountered exhibit the requirements of that job description
Processing customers’ bets in a timely and attentive manner......
"Sorry you've missed that price" - "Wouldn't have if you hadn't been on your phone or gassing to your colleague"
"That bet was late" - "Probably because you were fiddling with your phone whilst I was at the counter" - "you should get up to the counter earlier then" - "I was, 5 minutes before the race went off actually"
Attending to all customer queries quickly and knowledgeably.....
"How many trebles in 6 horses? - "Got no idea, I'll phone a friend"
Write your bet out and don't fill in the total stake box - "how much is that bet"? - "It's a £1 Lucky 15 FFS" - "Well I don't know, fill in the total stake box next time".
"How did I only get £3.50 off that bet?" - "No idea, thats what the computer says"
I'm sure you can add more, because not many of the newer staff I have encountered exhibit the requirements of that job description
Scathing but absolutely representative of the modern 'customer service representative' behind the counter.Asked for a price on a non horse racing event some years after popping in to a Corals shop in the town centre only to be directed to the fixed odds terminal.
To be fair she was attending to her nails at that moment although so I politely declined the directive and walked out.
She was a pretty little thang but as dumb as a plug.
**** CFO recently commented that their expansion would involve targetting shops up norff what liked Horsey racing, and daaaaan sarrff those that preferred footy betting.
Where will they find the pre-requisite dedication employed on minimum wage or a little better, to deliver the gold standard offer.
There are 3 paddy's 2 boyles and 2 ladbrokes and 1 barone within a 5 min max drive from my house here in cork and they closed 2 of the paddy's yesterday
All except barone have been there over 30 years at least
Thankfully I am no longer a big or degenerate punter i only have the odd bet here and there but love watching it ,I walk regularly with my young daughter and pass the barone which incidentally opened roughly a year or 2 ago in between a pub and a paddy's that is one of the one's now closed and I really noticed the difference in footfall between both everytime no one going to paddy's as a side note a friend of mine hit a 20k lucky 15 a mad bet all names and got paid out no bother from barone over the counter bet
i suppose we should not think all things bad for high st bookies is unfair ... years ago , and i mean at least 30 years , i was given a course notes folio from a friend who wanted a managers job at a big firm . the blatant info/ advice on how to manipulate area poverty was clear ; you are near a dss handout building , you are in an area with social / financial problems , etc ...it went on to say how to drag customers in .
Local Ladbrokes girl cashier, full of tattoos and fiillers, had to stand a yard away from counter as the body odour was appalling, then had to explain the amount of change she was to give me after i gave her 40 quid, i wish i was joking.
Town Centre Laddies mile from above i watched a cashier have a full blown purple faced screaming match with an elderly guy over an underpaid return, even if cashier was right it was an awful spectacle, i reported the latter not the earlier, would love to see Laddies close.
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