Chart 8 : Shops , machines and density 2009- 20
B2 B3
Source : Gambling Commission
Chart 5 : Betting shops 2009-2020
08
Part 1 : The data trail British retail betting report
that follows the decision in June last year not to reopen a further 119 outlets .
Rival Entain was always more cautious on the extent to which it needed to swing the axe and so by the end of 2020 it was left with 2,845 Ladbrokes or Coral shops , a drop of 388 . It said it had not closed any further shops despite the pandemic lockdowns .
Back in October , Local Data Company statistics suggested that the number of betting shops throughout the UK had fallen to 6,634 . This would represent a further 1,047 drop on the Gambling Commission figures from March 2020 , or another 13.6 % decline .
Before moving on from machines , there is also machine density to consider . Backing up the argument about sweating existing machine assets , it can be seen that bookmakers made the most of their machine allocations in the years leading up to April 2019 .
Machine density in the period 2015- 2019 was at 3.9 machines per shop ( the allowable limit was four ). The number of machines – and their density – has remained in lockstep with the fall in shop numbers .
THE BETTING REACTION
A factor already mentioned in the story of betting shops post the £ 2 stake limit was the hope of substitution among betting shop customers , either from B2 to B3 machines and also to over-thecounter ( OTC ) and self-service betting terminal ( SSBT ) betting .
However , the evidence would suggest that any switch in play to
No of betting shops
Chart 5 : Betting shops 2009-2020
No of betting shops
3000 10000
2000 9000 8872
9067 9128 9100 9111 8822
8995 8915 8800 8559
1000
8320 8000 0 7000
6000
5000
Source : Gambling Commission 4000
3000
Chart 2000 6 : William Hill UK retail average
1000
number of shops 2016-20
2016
Chart 6 : William Hill UK retail average number of shops 2016-20
2020 2018 2019 2017 2018 2016 2017 2019 2020
|
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
|
8872 |
8822 |
9067 |
9128 |
9100 |
9111 |
8995 |
8915 |
8800 |
8559 |
8320 |
5000
4000
Chart 7 : Entain UK retail year-end number of shops 2016-20
7681
7681
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Year to March
0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Year to March
2372
2362
2372
2333
2362
2087
2333
1414
2087 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600
Source : company reports
Chart 7 : Entain UK retail year-end number of shops 2017-20
2020 2019 2018 2017
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000
Source : company reports
1414
3567
3475
3233
2845