The betting shop: 'I think retail is a long way from dead'

Twelve months ago high street bookmakers were anticipating the new year with dread, unsure of what the future would hold once the government imposed a new staking regime on FOBTs from April 1.

A year later, betting shop operators still cannot look ahead with unqualified confidence – life on every high street is hard – but there does appear to be a glimmer of hope.

That at least is the impression after spending a day in the JenningsBet opposite Charlton station in south-east London, a shop overseen by Ron Hearn, Betting Shop Manager of the Year in 2017 and someone with more than 40 years of experience in the industry.