Abstract
Betting shops are a familiar feature in towns and cities throughout the UK. However, in recent years, increasing social and political concerns have been expressed about the presence of betting shops in high streets and about the role of betting shops in encouraging gambling. Such concerns include the concentration of betting shops in areas of social deprivation, the impact of such shops on the vitality of and viability of town centres, the perceived links between betting shops and both anti‐social behaviour and criminal activity and the presence of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in betting shops. This commentary paper outlines the origin and characteristics of betting shops, explores some of the recent concerns betting shops have attracted and offers some brief concluding reflections on the impact of policy responses to these concerns.
Highlights
In recent years, increasing social and political concerns have been expressed about the presence of betting shops in high streets and about the role of betting shops in encouraging gambling
Such concerns include the concentration of betting shops in areas of social deprivation, the impact of such shops on the vitality of and viability of town centres, the perceived links between betting shops and both anti-social behaviour and criminal activity and the presence of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in betting shops
Newspaper article headlines such as “Britain's betting out of control” (The Guardian January 21, 2020) and “We can't turn a blind eye to the gambling epidemic any longer” (Sunday Mail February 2, 2020) suggest that gambling is very much in the public eye
Summary
Newspaper article headlines such as “Britain's betting out of control” (The Guardian January 21, 2020) and “We can't turn a blind eye to the gambling epidemic any longer” (Sunday Mail February 2, 2020) suggest that gambling is very much in the public eye. Existing local bookmakers, who took the opportunity presented by the 1960 legislation to ply their trade legally, ran the vast majority of these betting shops At this time, both the location and the service environment offered to customers was strongly influenced by the. The Association of British Bookmakers (2013), suggested that the strict regulation of FOBT's could put “90% of betting shops and 4,000 jobs at risk,” “create more empty premises on the high street” and “lead to an increase of activity on the illegal gambling markets.”. Woodhouse (2019) reported that “robust evidence” about the relationship between FOBTs and “gambling-related harm” in the British context “was scarce.”
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