Home› Archived Forums› General Discussion
Options

William Hill to cease physical operations of stores

Comments

  • Options
    BunionsBunions Posts: 15,020
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #2
    Is that you out of a job then?
  • Options
    skp20040skp20040 Posts: 66,874
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #3
    Not that I am over the moon at the number of betting shops around in some areas I do think the government was wrong to allow so many licences for online gambling, it has led to the closure of many physical establishments such as bingo halls etc , so job losses etc .
  • Options
    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 22,382
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #4
    According to their website they've got more than 2,400 retail betting shops, so closing down 100 is hardly the end of their physical presence.
  • Options
    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,111
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    brain_higgy wrote: »
    http://www.scotsman.com/business/media-tech-leisure/william-hill-to-close-more-than-100-shops-1-3388298

    more stores to shut down and become online only business

    It's 100 shops closing but they have 2,300 betting shops so there'll be plenty left

    they're blaming Osborne's budget tax hike on fruit machines (FOBTs) in betting shops........
  • Options
    PrincessTTPrincessTT Posts: 4,300
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #6
    They're in the process of opening a new store not too far from me.
  • Options
    performingmonkperformingmonk Posts: 20,086
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #7
    PrincessTT wrote: »
    They're in the process of opening a new store not too far from me.

    Do you ever have a flutter?
  • Options
    PrincessTTPrincessTT Posts: 4,300
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #8
    performingmonk wrote: »
    Do you ever have a flutter?

    There are a few events that I place a bet on every year...
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,392
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #9
    They have been closing for years. The peak was 15,000 in 1973. Today there are around 9,000.
  • Options
    U96U96 Posts: 13,937
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #10
    *paul* wrote: »
    They have been closing for years. The peak was 15,000 in 1973. Today there are around 9,000.

    The smoking ban hasn't helped.I'm surprised it's not all gone over to online now.
    Maybe it's the 'social' element old school guys keeping the shops open.
  • Options
    MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #11
    U96 wrote: »
    The smoking ban hasn't helped.I'm surprised it's not all gone over to online now.
    Maybe it's the 'social' element old school guys keeping the shops open.

    Why should smoking be allowed in betting shops?
  • Options
    U96U96 Posts: 13,937
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #12
    MTUK1 wrote: »
    Why should smoking be allowed in betting shops?

    Eh?.:confused:
  • Options
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 32,379
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #13
    brain_higgy wrote: »
    http://www.scotsman.com/business/media-tech-leisure/william-hill-to-close-more-than-100-shops-1-3388298

    more stores to shut down and become online only business

    So shutting 100 and leaving 2300 is becoming an online business:confused:
  • Options
    MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #14
    U96 wrote: »
    Eh?.:confused:

    Was I speaking Japanese? You said the Smoking Ban hadn't helped. As if to say we should keep it so punters will carry on betting in shops.
  • Options
    U96U96 Posts: 13,937
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #15
    MTUK1 wrote: »
    Was I speaking Japanese? You said the Smoking Ban hadn't helped. As if to say we should keep it so punters will carry on betting in shops.

    Must've been lost in translation.;-)
    No,not at all.I used to hate going into the bookies when you were allowed to smoke in them.The smoke was so thick my eyes were stinging within 5 minutes.I couldn't wait to get out.
    Now you see all the punters standing outside coughing their lungs up in the pouring rain and cold.Wishing they were at home.More and more are doing that these days.But old habits die hard.
  • Options
    Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,434
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #16
    There's too many bookies so I'd welcome my local William Hills closing though I wouldn't want to see the staff lose their jobs. That said the staff turnover in my local Williams Hills is very high.

    In my local shopping centre we have a William Hill, BetFred and a Ladbrokes, all virtually next to each other. There are hardly ever any customers in any of them but none of them will close as they don't want to be seen as a failure compared to the other two. Even with income from the fruit machines the shops must be making a loss.
  • Options
    panixspanixs Posts: 920
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #17
    Robbie01 wrote: »
    There's too many bookies so I'd welcome my local William Hills closing though I wouldn't want to see the staff lose their jobs. That said the staff turnover in my local Williams Hills is very high.

    In my local shopping centre we have a William Hill, BetFred and a Ladbrokes, all virtually next to each other. There are hardly ever any customers in any of them but none of them will close as they don't want to be seen as a failure compared to the other two. Even with income from the fruit machines the shops must be making a loss.

    I think you would be surprised if you sat in one for a day and counted what went over the counter. People who don't gamble or only do so one or twice a year tend to think of bets being a couple of pounds maybe up to a tenner. Wait untill you see people putting down 500/1000/2000 on a single bet and sitting in there all day repeating the process till you make comments about them not being profitable
  • Options
    DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #18
    Nearly half of jobs will be computerised in two decades. According to a study.

    that's quite worrying really.
  • Options
    Jol44Jol44 Posts: 21,048
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #19
    Feel sorry for those poor people losing their jobs.
  • Options
    Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,434
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #20
    panixs wrote: »
    I think you would be surprised if you sat in one for a day and counted what went over the counter. People who don't gamble or only do so one or twice a year tend to think of bets being a couple of pounds maybe up to a tenner. Wait untill you see people putting down 500/1000/2000 on a single bet and sitting in there all day repeating the process till you make comments about them not being profitable
    I worked in Ladbroke's in the mid 80s doing a Saturday job while studying for my degree. This was back in the days when one of the jobs that I did was marking the board as the odds were broadcast over the tannoy prior to TV screens being introduced to bookies! I agree that the amount of money some people bet is quite large but back then we were the only bookies in a large housing area. I was thinking more now about a relatively small handful of punters in a predominantly poor area, many of whom during the week are pensioners, having three bookies to choose from. It must dilute the amount of money any one bookie is going to be taking.
  • Options
    cantoscantos Posts: 7,368
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #21
    I used to love spending a couple of hours in a betting shop having a bet and conversing with the other punters.

    However since these gaming machines have arrived, many of the traditional punters either just place there bets and go or like myself bet online listening to the in shop radio service.

    The problem is these machines create a lot of noise from both the machine and the usual foul mouthed losing punter; added to that the aggression and violent behaviour of some of these punters does not make for a pleasant atmosphere.
  • Options
    Alan1981Alan1981 Posts: 5,416
    Forum Member
    ✭
    #22
    The betting shops around here always seem full. Usually with Chinese people playing those fruit machines.
  • Options
    LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,659
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #23
    I have the occasional small bet but I have never been in a betting shop in my life. I really would have no idea what to do - they looks such intimidating places. It's a lot easier online - although if you are a problem gambler then it may be too easy.
  • Options
    Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,434
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    #24
    LostFool wrote: »
    I have the occasional small bet but I have never been in a betting shop in my life. I really would have no idea what to do - they looks such intimidating places. It's a lot easier online - although if you are a problem gambler then it may be too easy.
    When I worked in a betting shop in 1984/85 they were meant to be intimidating places. That's because the law at the time didn't allow the betting shop to make it comfortable for the punter. In fact people were supposed to place their bets and then leave. The guidance, possibly even the law itself, was that the punter shouldn't remain on the premises for more than half an hour maximum although that was never enforced in the bookies I worked in. But that was why back then bookmaker shops were quite seedy looking places - you weren't supposed to get too comfortable. And it didn't help that the windows were all blacked out so that no-one could see in and the place was like a smoking den.
  • Options
    plateletplatelet Posts: 26,386
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    #25
    DaisyBumbleroot wrote: »
    Nearly half of jobs will be computerised in two decades. According to a study.

    that's quite worrying really.

    But how many jobs that were done by people in 1984 are now handled by computers? Unemployment was I think significantly higher in 1984 than it is two decades later, It's the jobs people are doing have changed. I suspect the same will hold true over the next two decades

    The idea that technology will create mass unemployment is not exactly new. Of course the legislation against it's opposition might need updating Destruction of Stocking Frames, etc. Act 1812
Sign In or Register to comment.