WALK down any high street and you’ll spot one of Britain’s greatest inventions.
Glowing blue, green or red, they are the beating heart of towns and cities all over the land. The humble betting shop.
There are still 6,000 of them doing business every day — a testament to their place in British life in an age where you can do anything you want on a smartphone.
Yet thousands of people every day still want to walk into their local bookies, write out a slip and slap real money on the counter.
And it’s not just about having a flutter — betting shops play a key role in the social life of many Brits.
I know from personal experience having worked behind a bookies’ counter for three years while I was going through college.
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I can still remember some of the characters who’d come into the shop every day.
There was ‘Bluey’ who used to chew down hard on his little betting shop pen while he was watching his fancies run.
By the end of the afternoon, he looked like he’d gone five rounds with a giant squid with blue ink all over him.
Then there was ‘Johnny Wallop’ who would cheer on his horses louder than any owner at the Cheltenham Festival.
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He’d proudly come to the payout window and shout ‘wallop’ as he put the winning slip down. His usual stake… fifty pence.
A betting shop is the focus for many of the older people in the community.
They make friends there, have a chat and are checked on if they don’t show their face for a couple of days.
Step inside your local bookie and you’ll see what I mean. The regulars greet each other by name.
They argue over who’s “off the bridle too early”.
They share a brew, swap tips, celebrate wins and commiserate losses with a shrug and a laugh.
These are social spaces — real ones, not virtual.
Places where loneliness gets left at the door.
For many — especially older people — the betting shop provides the last bit of human interaction left in a world gone contactless.
Betting shops would be the biggest casualty of any increase in Betting Tax that could be levied by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Budget later this month.
It’s not like bookies aren’t paying a fortune to the government already.
It’s estimated that more than a billion quid flows into the Treasury from betting shops every year.
Not to mention tens of millions in business rates to local councils.
Not only would the regulars suffer but racing would be in a terrible state if betting shops vanished from the high street.
Not to mention the 46,000 jobs that would go should they be forced to close their doors.
Every single bet struck in a high street shop helps fund racing’s prize money, course improvements and the next generation of racing talent through the Levy system that’s existed for decades.
Take away the shops and you take away racing’s oxygen.
The small-stakes punter in Brighouse or Brighton who drops into the local bookies for a 20p Yankee is part of a chain that stretches right to the winners’ enclosure at Royal Ascot.
Close those shops and it’s not just the old boys who lose their social hub.
It’s the entire industry that loses its beating heart.
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Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
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- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
