{"id":5925,"date":"2016-10-10T16:37:41","date_gmt":"2016-10-10T21:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=5925"},"modified":"2023-01-06T08:09:33","modified_gmt":"2023-01-06T14:09:33","slug":"a-compete-history-of-betting-shops-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/a-compete-history-of-betting-shops-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"A Complete History of Betting Shops in The UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
In 1960, the landscape of betting within the UK changed forever when the British government introduced the Betting and Gaming Act that allowed betting shops to officially open up for business across the country from 1st<\/sup> May, 1961. Things have never been the same since.<\/p>\n
How It All Began<\/b><\/h2>\n
The first betting shops opened on that first day of the fifth month 55 years ago and they continued to open up at a rate of 100 every week. After six months of the new laws coming into force there were 10,000 betting shops in operation. The face of the gambling industry within the UK changed over the course of a matter of months.<\/p>\n
Bookmakers that were awarded licenses to operate within the UK from the Racecourse Betting Control Board were allowed to accept bets at \u201ctote odds\u201d which was when the amount of the bet placed was divided up amongst the winning bets.<\/p>\n
It was hoped that the new laws would help towards getting illegal betting off the streets and eradicate the activity used by bookmakers of sending physical runners to collect money owed by punters. This practice contributed to criminal acts and extortion which needed to be stamped out.<\/p>\n
At the time of the new act being passed, the only way punters could place an off-course bet was by proving they had enough credit to set up a new account with a bookmaker and then placing the bets by telephone.<\/p>\n
Betting Becoming Mainstream<\/b><\/h2>\n
Undoubtedly, the biggest change that occurred under the new law changes was that betting went from being a seedy and taboo activity to becoming a more socially accepted recreation. It shifted from the underground to the mainstream.<\/p>\n
Betting shops provided a safe and regulated haven for punters to place their bets without the risk of being embroiled in a criminal circle which was a frequent occurrence when betting was not regulated on the streets.<\/p>\n
There was still a small stigma associated with betting shops. The premises had to darken windows and were not allowed to advertise or market themselves. However, they were out in the open and betting activity could now be monitored which made betting a far more popular recreation than it was before the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Ladbrokes and William Hill were the two big names in the 1960s and their expansion during this period was revolutionary. They managed to swallow up a number of small betting shop businesses such as Fred Parkinson, JJ Simonds, and Ken Munden. They appealed to the working class and set the tone for the industry that would remain in place for the next five decades.<\/p>\n