700 William Hill shops could close

[mjl5656]

I have not been in William Hill but I had a quick look at my local one and it’s a sorry site the FOBTS are not looked after at all

the panel on the bottom of the screen that did not work when I used to play Blackjack still does not work , and that was over 9 months ago I last went in that shop

The whole place looks dirty and the Poor RTP it looks like they have just thrown in the towel 

 

 

 

[Barney Gumble]

With PP/ Betfair merging with Stars and the relaxation of US gaming laws firms like WH will be looking to put gaming machines and investments there. I remember the good old days where there were less bookies covering more horse racing and events, people would buy their own Sporting Life or Racing Post and sit at a table to pick out selections. They would discuss the merits of certain horses to each other or be conjuring up some correct score permutation. The staff would ring up for an ante post price.There was more of a community like a reasonable pub.

They built a house of cards. Nowadays they are just glorified arcades with too many anonymous people in them. They should go back to being bookmakers primarily, with maybe a couple of  £100 slots in the corner.

[Mentholdan]

2 minutes ago, Barney Gumble said:

With PP/ Betfair merging with Stars and the relaxation of US gaming laws firms like WH will be looking to put gaming machines and investments there. I remember the good old days where there were less bookies covering more horse racing and events, people would buy their own Sporting Life or Racing Post and sit at a table to pick out selections. They would discuss the merits of certain horses to each other or be conjuring up some correct score permutation. The staff would ring up for an ante post price.There was more of a community like a reasonable pub.

They built a house of cards. Nowadays they are just glorified arcades with too many anonymous people in them. They should go back to being bookmakers primarily, with maybe a couple of  £100 slots in the corner.

Absolutely bang on there Barney, the cameradery of a bookies was second to none. If you dropped a tenner on the floor, you would probably get a tap on the shoulder and someone telling you "you just dropped a tenner there mate" 

It wouldn't happen nowadays. 

[DaveM]

699 to go Kaleyards Chester bites the dust

 

[scrambled316]

Hello. Stroud in Gloucestershire closed on Monday 30th September after nearly three years of trading. It have competition from two Ladbrokes and a Betfred. All three are well visited so WH had a problem from the start. Few customers and no best odds. The one on Westgate Street in Gloucester was also closed after I walked passed on Tuesday 8th October. No surprise to see shops go as when I worked for Betfred as a cleaner they only was interested in the machines. Horse and Greyhound picture dispute for months did not bother Ladbrokes/Corals or Betfred. 14 hours days 6 days a week, no one in the shop betting for hours in the evenings, just machine players.

[DaveM]

Birkenhead Hills closed too I noticed on Tuesday

[Mentholdan]

Coral at Carshalton Beeches just bit the dust

[BlindHaze]

Southend high street branch has bitten the dust too.

[ghost22]

oh dear  the poor bookies cant survive without fleecing the public and allowing drug dealers to wash their money clean  they should have all their licenses removed , no sympathy here at all , 

[The crisp man]

I was in a Hills today, and wanted to load the machine with my monzo card only to be told they don’t accept monzo and to confirm I tried it on the chip and pin to no avail.
 

Now I know that it works in both betfred and Lewis bookmakers, I’ve not tried coral or ladbrokes. But if Hills are so concerned about their shops why are they operating such poor infrastructure that’s refusing bank cards?

[Mentholdan]

Just had my neice on the phone, she's a manager at LadbrokeS in Carshalton in Surrey. She's just been told her shop is to close "it's smack bang opposite a Betfred" and she's to be made redundant. Hopefully she should be able to walk straight I to another job with another bookies but doubtful she will keep her managerial status. 

[ghost22]

william sold all of his shops over here in northern ireland yesterday , 33 of them . it dont look to good for the industry .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-51085585