High street bookmakers hopeful for the future with restrictions set to ease

Betting shops: have been operating under strict restrictions since reopening in AprilCredit: Matt Alexander/PA Wire

Betting shop business has not exactly been booming since they reopened last month but high street bookmakers are just glad to have customers back again and have seen enough to be encouraged that the sector will bounce back when restrictions ease further.

Shops reopened in England and Wales on April 12 following the latest Covid lockdown and in Scotland a fortnight later but, in England at least, they have been operating under what were recently described as "pretty severe restrictions" by Peter Jackson, the chief executive of Paddy Power's parent company Flutter Entertainment.

Tables and chairs have been taken away, no live sport can be shown on the television screens and a maximum of two gaming machines have been allowed to operate.

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Bill BarberIndustry editor

Published on 7 May 2021inNews

Last updated 17:24, 7 May 2021

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