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SPORTS BETTING
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO RETURN UK RETAIL BETTING TO GROWTH ?
UK retail betting is in decline , writes Kyle Goldsmith . Can the sector take inspiration from a high street betting shop stalwart and Serbia ’ s thriving , Vegas-like social scene to turn the channel ’ s luck around ?
I n October , the UK Gambling Commission reported a Q3 gross gambling yield ( GGY ) of £ 1.32 billion (€ 1.6 billion /$ 1.7 billion ), with online real event betting GGY rising by 6 % year-on-year to £ 453 million .
However , UK retail betting continued on a slow long-term decline with GGY falling 1 % to £ 533 million during the quarter . Entain reported a drop of 2 % in retail revenue in the market , while Evoke observed a 9 % fall in revenue across its international retail portfolio . At the same time that online gambling is surging in popularity due to ease of access and improving technology , the retail sector is seemingly lagging behind .
In its third quarter results , Evoke said it had hired a new retail managing director in September who had immediately identified and actioned a series of measures to improve trading in the short term . These measures included the rollout of over 5,000 new gaming machines from October to Q1 2025 .
WHY IS RETAIL SHOPPING SUFFERING ?
Betting isn ’ t the only industry to experience a huge shift in consumer preferences towards online , with retail struggling to attract people out of their homes and onto the high street .
David Hicks is a customer experience ( CX ) expert and co-founder and chairman of XM Coach , a specialist advisory service that aims to drive enhanced business performance by improving engagement with consumers . In Hicks ’ view , operators aren ’ t doing enough to encourage people into the retail environment , especially when the online experience is developing at such a rapid rate . “ You ’ ve got to make the effort worth the while ,” he insists . “ I think gaming is improving a bit online , and that ’ s why [ retail ] is losing .
“ There isn ’ t the attraction , there isn ’ t the appeal , there isn ’ t any emotional reason to get me out of my chair
“ It costs a lot to put a [ shop ] on a high street . You better work hard to encourage folks to come in ”
David Hicks , XM Coach and go in there . That ’ s the big issue , because it costs a lot to put a [ shop ] on a high street . You better work hard to encourage folks to come in .”
Hicks uses the example of the grocery store he frequents in New York , where he is routinely greeted by name and made to feel welcome by staff . So why can ’ t betting shops do the same ? “ When was the last time you went into a retail location ?” Hicks questions .
“ They ’ re not particularly welcoming places . There isn ’ t much to actually drag me in . There needs to be more of an emotional reason for me to actually make that decision . There ’ s no attempt to have somebody engage you in a conversation . No wonder the numbers are down .”
AGAINST THE NORM
One operator that does appear to be bucking the trend is Betfred . During its 2022-23 financial year , which ended 1 October 2023 , Betfred ’ s retail business grew 3.5 % to £ 577 million , with a Regulus Partners note following the results ’ release in July praising the operator ’ s transition from a traditional land-based betting company to a “ successful omnichannel business ”.
24 • ISSUE 137 • ICE 2025