Why retail sports betting will never die

The UK betting shop has long been a part of Great British life, and continues to stand the test of time as we advance into an ever-evolving digital era.

For the older generation, who have been popping into their local betting shop for decades, that is their only way to place a bet.

And although the younger generation have been betting on their mobile phones and laptops, there’s still reason to believe that there is life on the old dog yet.

The tradition of the high street

Like we’ve just mentioned, the betting shop is a staple part of any high street in the UK, and you’ll struggle to find a town or city that still doesn’t have one.

For many towns, they have been there for decades with the likes of William Hill and Betfred still have a strong retail presence across the country.

In years gone by, you wouldn’t have found a pub or club without a betting shop attached to it and although these have closed down in recent years, you’ll often find that your local betting shop is still on a prominent place in the high street, usually near to banks or pubs.

The main reason for that is so they are at the heart of the community, and that is exactly what a betting shop is.

Gone are the days of them being tobacco-fuelled rooms that are full of smoke. Many are well designed these days and have modern furniture to make them some more like a community room than an old fashioned betting shop.

Cash Is king

Although the British high street is continuing to dwindle, the one hope for betting shops is that cash will always remain king.

The feeling that comes with winning a bet and then physically collecting your cash is something that can’t be replaced by online sports betting, and with so many restrictions in depositing and withdrawing online, the betting shops certainly creates an easy way to place your bet.

For many punters, placing a bet means just a couple of quid on the Saturday afternoon racing and football, so signing up for an online account isn’t really for them.

Instead, they’d rather place their £2 bet in cash and for as long as there are people that want to do that, the retail sports betting scene will always remain strong.

Football coupons

When you mention betting shops, the phrase ‘football coupons’ won’t be far behind for many sports betting fans.

Although they traditionally became popular through the Football Pools, betting on football rose to fruition through the football coupons that can still be found in betting shops.

Rather than just clicking the team that you want to back like you do online, the football coupons often only offer selected matches, and punters have decided whether they think it will be a home win (1), draw (X) or an away win (2).

The coupons were particularly popular in the 1980 and 1990’s, but can still be found in betting shops across the country today.

Betting at the event

As well as the football coupons, many football stadiums still have a betting terminal within the ground, and for lots of soccer fans, placing a bet on the match is a huge part of any game day.

Although this is a slightly different arm to the retail sports betting division, it is one that generates millions each year, and it’s no surprise to see so many bookmakers still sponsoring football clubs across the UK’s divisions such as the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two.

Horse racing is very similar with bookmakers pitching up at all the courses around the country.

Although the Covid pandemic has been a struggle for them, when crowds return, so too will the appetite for placing a bet on the gee gees in cash.