Fred Done: betting shops must move with the times to avoid dying out

Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the legalisation of betting shops – but Betfred boss Fred Done has warned that they might not last much longer without undergoing changes.

Done was one of many industry leaders speaking to the Racing Post for a big feature in Sunday's newspaper exploring what the future holds for betting shops and what the shop of the future might look like.

Done, who recalled being involved in betting even before shops were legalised, pointed out how far shops have come since those early days, saying: "The first shops really were very basic. The words 'licensed betting office' were not allowed to be more than three inches high, the windows had to be covered up, no tables or chairs were permitted inside the shops and under the rules you weren't allowed to loiter.

"It was crude but the shops were still packed. Everyone was smoking and we had no ventilation, so after being in the shop all day your clothes stank of cigarettes."

But Done now fears for the future unless betting shops continue to modernise.

Betfred boss Fred Done fears for the future of betting shops unless changes are madeCredit: Edward Whitaker

He said: "If we carry on as we are now I think we'll go the same way as the dinosaurs and betting shops will die. We need to attract more young people. The average age of betting shop punters is 50-plus. When those people drop off the perch they aren't being replaced.

"We can't pretend we know what young people want, so I think we need to ask them. Personally, I see a future in eSports and one in which young people can come into a betting shop and bet against each other with the bookmaker becoming the bank. I would be doing this in big city centres as opposed to neighbourhoods. I definitely think it's worth throwing a few million at some pilot schemes and seeing where we get."

Suggesting other ways in which betting shops could diversify, Done added: "I would love to put small bars in our shops. Adults can go into a casino and have a drink while playing. Why can't that happen in a betting shop? Betting shops need to be more based on entertainment and leisure, as opposed to hardcore gambling. They need a softer approach. Maybe we don't even call them betting shops?"

Read more from Fred Done and other betting industry leaders in The Big Read, available online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Join Members' Club here.

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