How Covid-19 is causing the biggest shock the betting industry has ever seen

"Things are never so bad they can't get worse," goes the saying, but just a few weeks ago the gambling industry could not have imagined how bad things were going to get.

In recent years the sector has been hammered by higher taxes and stricter regulations while its reputation has sunk like a stone.

High street bookmakers had the cash cow of FOBTs taken from them as the government took steps in response to unrelenting calls for action from campaigners, the media and politicians, who then turned their attention to online gambling.