High street signals a worry for bookmakers and racing

The economic signals coming from the high street suggest times are becoming tough, and betting shop operators are not immune from those trends judged by their recent trading updates.

That will be a concern not only for the bookmakers themselves but also for racing, which is still closely tied to the fortunes of betting shops despite the recent introduction of levy reforms.

Last week Ladbrokes Coral reported that amounts staked over the counter had fallen by seven per cent in the first quarter of the year and net revenue across their retail estate had fallen by two per cent, with the "challenging UK high street environment," cited as a contributory factor.