Are High Street Bookmakers Still Popular?

Once a bustling and iconic landmark of the British high street and now, following the increasing popularity of online betting companies, the popularity of the typical brick-and-mortar ‘bookie’, has inevitably dwindled over the last two decades.

However, it begs the question, do these high street ‘bookies’ still draw in enough business? In short, I suppose it depends on what company you ask. Many high street bookmakers in the UK are part of a big brand, that has a considerable online following, and often only still exist because there is a demand from the traditional customer.

Indeed, it appears that the number of high street bookmakers has declined by around 30 per cent over the last six years.

Do High Street Bookies Exist To Serve A Routine?

For most of a certain age and especially horse racing followers, going to the ‘bookies’ was part of a daily or weekly routine, where they would visit to place a bet or two, have a coffee, socialise and watch the race(s).

Some would perhaps even break this up. Invariably, most high street bookmakers, such as William Hill, Coral and Ladbrokes, would not have been too far from a local pub. Quite often you would see (mostly men), going for a pint, reading (studying) the Racing Post and then nipping across (or next door) to the bookies to place a bet – I myself certainly have a few memories of this.

So, it is fair to say that the high street bookmaker was considerably popular – I especially remember seeing my local Ladbrokes looking particularly busy on a Saturday afternoon which was usually the biggest sporting calendar of the week with mainly racing and football.

When the accumulator slips came out, I remember, particularly at university, enjoying going with my housemate, down to our local bookies most Saturday lunchtimes where we’d have a bet with steve, having spent the morning deciding our selections, then doing a few (frankly, quite ridiculous) football and racing accumulators. We’d have a quick pint on the way back and spend the afternoon glued to the TV and our laptops. There were no big wins, though it was a relatively entertaining and cheap way to spend a Saturday.

Online Sportsbooks Taking Over

No doubt, this probably still goes on, hence, high street bookmakers still do serve a purpose, however, online sportsbooks have become increasingly popular, especially for convenience. Over the last couple of decades, we have seen a notable increase in the number of new sportsbook brands, including Bet365, SkyBet, BetVictor, 32Red and others, all of which exist solely online.

The online industry is worth billions – vastly more than the brick-and-mortar side, particularly when you factor in the rent on the premises as a major cost. Coral, Ladbrokes, William Hill and even Betfred still have several betting shops, however, they are most prominent online and certainly made the right decision to move online at the right time.

What is also interesting is that a percentage of those who used to go to betting shops have and, even prefer placing bets online now, especially considering the number of promotions that are available, while it is also more convenient.

While high street bookmakers might still attract a loyal fanbase, it is hard to see their numbers increasing as time goes on.