William Hills Shop Closures

don't they bet you what you like?

Their shops are a disgrace,need to visit about 20 before i can get a monkey on anything.

BOZZ....The message there is clear TOO MANY BOOKIES SHOPS IN IRELAND. Its killing the game you can't be competitive or even have any atmosphere in the shops if everyone is just ticking over.

The fact is the Telephone betting and the Internet sites has made the need for all these shops now very questionable.

Ironically if I was working in one of those shops for the said company. I be more angry with there in your face promoting of there new £250 million internet site than any threat of a goverment 2% levy .

Every year in their Annual reports most of these bookies are reporting 10% growth figures off the Telephone and Internet sections. So it stands to reason this growth can't all be from new punters its cleary coming from the shops.

Why would anyone bother going to a betting shop on a day like today when you can bet on your internet or phone with the same firm and cheaper by sitting at home? :0

But sadly it pulls one of the aces from the Goverment pack when it comes on how to decide how they can get even 1% from the Telephone and Internet betting channels.

As really their only hope is the threat to tax betting shops even heavier unless the companies with Telephone and Internet sites make a voluntary tax payement for those sites.

Since 99% of the Telephone and Internet sites used here are owned by companies that have a heavy presence of shops in Ireland.

What does that leave Billys with 60 or something, I think at a guess... I suppose the threat would still scare them then........Cheers

It is the first of many by the big bookies. Someone said to me that over 300 new licences were granted over the last few years - which is a joke. I'd say over a 100 will be closed by the end of the year.

The Iirsh economy is in the Sh1ts and people are losing their jobs every day. Its a sad state of affairs and its one thats going to continue for the forseeable future.

whats your source Mr Bozz, cant see anything online about it.

so is all thw william hill shops

to be honest i got the impression they never wanted to be here- too competitive for them

they only came in through acquiring all the stanley shops- they seemed to take an age to even change the name over the doors- a clear sign of apathy to the purchase here in ireland

Was surprised to see a sad blokes shop in Waterford close.In my experienced bookmakers tend to act in agreement with each other.

Fascinating to see Blessington's long contribution to this thread.One would assume from reading it that the closure of the shops is a vindication of his long held belief about Ireland having too many shops.
However in a thread in or around the autumn of last year he seemed to hold a diametrically opposite view.
If anyone could be so good as to let me know how to find old threads they might do so.
P.S.I hope doing so does not highlight the fact that I might have been talking c**p as well!!

TOLMI...Padraics price up 7% on the stock market today. I would have thought listening to you there price would have dropped through the floor on the news of the closures.

Maybe the stock market is reading poor auld Bless views now.....".Less shops more customers good news for everybody". :)

Gosh whats the chances one of those shops will be around the Cork Bus station. Oh dear that mean with Billys gone we will only have 6 shops from 7 within 500 yds of the station now. :(

What do you think will one of the customers double up down there now and share a shop between them? :0

Try getting a price in any Hills before 10.15am. Answer: "No there's no prices on that race". Delighted theyre going.

Their nearest shop to me is about 2 miles away , only had one bet in any of their shops since they took over Stanle*s a few years ago . So cant say I would miss them . Anyway they closed my internet account some time ago ( you are not allowed to back winners consistently apparently) , so there are no tears here .

Thanks for that Moneypenny.Unfortunately I cant remember the name of the thread or who started it.
I suppose it was inevitable that those shops which closed were those who failed to re invest in facilities for their customers and generally had staff who treated you like a criminal if you ever had a decent winning bet or beat SP consistently.
Maybe if one were to look at things from Blessington's angle it might seem ironic that the first group to announce closures would be one whose "EGO" was not big enough to have the well fitted out shops in the expensive rent locations!!

As i said eddie its at least 1130 before they bother their arses putting any Irish prices up,most likely imo as their "compilers"/traders/cut + pasters are busting their balls to see what Padraig Power lay before daring to put their own prices up.Ive also noticed on quiet mornings (ie where Powers aint cut much) its can sometimes be later.A shocking outfit obviously desperately lacking in any knowledge of Irish racing.

ah eddie all the cashiers in town have been warned about you and your shrewd each way bets. the poor girl was only doing her job

The manager of the shop in Drumcondra has to be one of the most contemptible cretins ever to draw breath.

Silverbuck-when was the last time you were in the Barrack Street shop-no Lydias working there.

government should give the green light to the roulette machines, much as i hate them. so many will close otherwise

Hills took 50 e/w at 16s off me today in a shop

they batted an eyelid mind



I'd prefer shops to close rather than FOBTs.

Bookies need to rationalise, some areas have too many Paddies(Dublin 15), some lads(Cabra), some hills(ballyfermot)

online casinos should be banned also