Will UK Betting Shops survive?

There has been incredible growth of online casinos and internet sports betting over the past few years and many people wonder if these shops will survive in the UK. Let’s examine the past and present of betting shops to see if they have a chance to coexist with the more-convenient online gaming.

Placing bets in the UK wasn’t exactly a safe activity throughout the early and mid-1900’s because most of the action was controlled by bookies. And since bookies didn’t have the law on their side, they normally used violence and a shady reputation to coerce punters into paying up on losses. As the problems mounted with underground betting and bookies, the UK government finally introduced the 1960 Betting and Gaming Act.

This paved the way for betting shops, which enabled punters to bet in government-regulated businesses. No longer did people have to rely on shady bookies to take their sports bets, and they could place wagers in a less hostile environment. Things only got better around 1986, when another law called for betting shops to have nicer interiors, and allowed for food and drinks to be served.

From the 1960’s to the early 1990’s, betting shops ruled the UK scene because they provided the perfect place for punters to place wagers. However, things began to change in the mid-90’s, when the National Lottery’s scratchcards really took off. Suddenly, casual punters were putting all of their extra money towards scratchcards, and looking at betting shops as an afterthought.

As if the National Lottery scratchcards weren’t enough to contend with, wagering shops soon had fierce competition from online casinos and internet sports betting operations. People slowly started doing more betting online in the late 90’s, and this trend continued growing throughout the early and mid-2000’s.

Unfortunately, this set a disturbing precedence where some betting shops closed their doors because they couldn’t compete in such a crowded market. The trend has continued to some extent today, which has people questioning how betting shops can keep up with other forms of betting.

In recent years, the UK government has taken steps to ensure that betting shops can remain competitive in a changing environment. Some of the most beneficial changes include terminating taxes on punters’ wagers, people no longer having to place three bets at a time, and casino games like slots being introduced into betting shops. All of these changes have certainly had a positive impact on wagering shops, and made them more attractive to clients. 

Sure there are still betting shops closing every year in the UK, but there are also plenty of new shops that open to replace them. And a big reason why betting shops continue to do well in the UK is because of the social aspect involved with them. Sure online casinos offer interactivity with their live games and webcams, but there’s just something that punters find special about going to a shop, placing wagers and watching sporting contests with others.

In any case, it looks like betting shops will be around for decades to come, and it doesn’t hurt matters that many of the biggest brand names continue to open up shops.