A Ladbrokes manager in the North West has spoken about his shop’s importance to the local community, amid speculation that further gambling tax rises could put hundreds of high street betting shops at risk.
Jake Stevenson, manager of the Handforth branch near Manchester, believes his site’s role as a third space allows customers to gain valuable human interaction.
There is speculation that the Treasury is considering further gambling tax rises in the Autumn Budget, including an increase in Machine Games Duty, with industry modelling warning that a significant rise could put betting shops and jobs at risk.
The issue has particular resonance in the North West, where Andy Burnham previously spoke up for betting shop workers during the Covid restrictions, describing people working “in bookies” as among those “too often forgotten by those in power”
Stevenson said: “I started off here in Handforth as a customer service manager. Then I spent about four or five years working through a variety of different shops all the way into the centre of Manchester, and then back out again where I now manage here, where I started.
“We've realised how important these shops are to a lot of people. They come into the shop and potentially don't have conversations with anybody else for the rest of the day.”
The Handforth branch is just one of around 2,300 Ladbrokes and Coral shops across the UK.
The proposed increase in Machine Games Duty (MGD), which applies to gaming machines in betting shops, could have a major impact on the high street. Modelling commissioned by the Betting and Gaming Council from EY estimates that doubling the standard MGD rate to 40% could lead to up to 1,470 betting shop closures and 15,900 job losses across the sector.
Stevenson said: “As much as it's about placing a bet, it's about talking to friends. I like to be friends with some of the people who come into the shop and we have a good chat. What's the team going to do today? Who's going to score some goals? We try to build a real sense of community.
“And for some customers, especially those lacking many safe spaces, these shops really are a core part of their lives.
“One of our regular customers over the years was a massive horse racing fan. He was a really regular customer, in every single day betting on the horses, but unfortunately he started to struggle with dementia.
“In the last 12 months of his life, he was starting to lose his sense of who he was and where he was. This shop particularly was a safe space for him because he'd been visiting it for so long that he felt at home here.
“His wife knew that that was also a safe space for him, so she could go and do her own thing and she knew that we would be here and help him through those later months.
Regular customer Harry Town, aged 90, said: “The staff are great - they really make you welcome. I have a cuppa. It’s like a community round a table.”
Entain announced plans to cut around 400 customer care roles this month, following 500 job reductions announced earlier in the year, as it responds to higher gambling taxes and other cost pressures. Chief executive Stella David has warned that further tax rises could put more jobs and shops at risk.
To find out more about what’s at stake in the coming budget, visit: https://www.entaingroup.com/whatsatstake/
Share