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SPORTS BETTING
“ When you come to a Balkan betting shop , it ’ s like you ’ re in Las Vegas ”
Lazar Miucin , ex-MaxBet
believes the company ’ s principles remain the same as when the first shop opened . “ Good customer service and trying to offer value that others don ’ t ,” is the company ’ s ethos .
BALKANS SETTING EXAMPLE
Despite retail ’ s decline in the UK , the channel is flourishing in other jurisdictions . One such region is the Balkans , where the split between online and retail is around 50 / 50 according to Lazar Miucin , former managing director of MaxBet , the Serbian operator acquired by Flutter in 2023 .
The community aspect is key in the Balkans , where retail operators look to tap into the “ social moments ” betting shops can provide . While Hicks describes UK betting shops as unwelcoming , retail venues in the Balkans offer food and alcohol , while players can smoke and watch sports . Miucin regularly meets friends for a morning coffee in a betting shop , and that comfort is why he believes retail is flourishing in the Balkans compared to the “ sterile environment ” he observes in shops elsewhere .
“ When you come to a Balkan betting shop , it ’ s like you ’ re in Las Vegas ,” Miucin explains . “ You have extremely comfortable chairs , you have many choices for drinks , you
Frontrunner : Betfred has 1,300 shops in its high street estate
have many choices to eat . That ’ s what creates the difference .”
Miucin concedes there are some differences between the Balkans and other markets , such as regulations around smoking inside and anti-money laundering laws . But he feels there is much to learn about how to attract customers back into shops . “ The key is to create more social events for people . They want a better experience than they have now . More welcoming , more socialised , more accepted , more entertainment for them inside the shop .”
COMFORT AND CONNECTION
Hicks is confident the channel could return to growth despite the allure of online betting and the constantly improving customer experience . “ It won ’ t take a lot to actually try some of the proven techniques from the retail sector in gaming ,” he says .
“[ We could make ] retail betting a welcoming environment and actually put the effort into the experience [ by ] bumping up training for staff . Why don ’ t we try giving [ players ] a comfortable space , coffee , sandwiches ? I think we ’ re getting to that inflection point .”
Ultimately , to revitalise retail betting , operators will have to provide bettors with an experience they can ’ t have online , to justify the effort of leaving home by providing something tangible and memorable . Evoke expects to improve customer experience by modernising the self-service betting terminals ( SSBTs ) in their shops .
“ That is going to have a material impact when it comes to our opportunity here and commitment to close the gap versus competition ,” Evoke CEO Per Widerström said during the company ’ s Q2 earnings call .
“ If we look at the current gaming machines we have , that has a gross [ revenue ] per machine per week of £ 750 ; where we look at where the market is and also where we expect to be , [ that is ] about £ 1,000 per week .”
Betfred ’ s continued success and focus on its retail estate proves it can be done in the UK by providing punters with an entertaining shop experience . By innovating and creating an emotional connection with players , as referenced by Hicks , in-person betting can remain a vital part of the gambling landscape , despite the unavoidable decline of the high street .
Lazar Miucin , 26 • ISSUE 137 • ICE ex MaxBet
2025