Gambling outlets see little change across Shropshire
The number of gambling businesses in the region has remained steady since 2010, despite national concerns about betting shops taking over high streets.
The Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Council areas have 50 gambling businesses, the same number they had seven years ago, according to the register of businesses held by the ONS. However, the number of gambling firms in Powys has risen since 2010, from five to 10.
Nationally, the UK’s high streets had 11,370 gambling businesses in 2017, about four per cent fewer than seven years earlier.
The gambling sector includes casinos and amusement arcades, but the Gambling Commission estimates that about three quarters of businesses are betting shops.
The Association of British Bookmakers has warned that the industry is facing difficulty, claiming some businesses may be forced to shut down for good.
It blames the government clampdown on fixed odds machines, cutting the maximum bet from £100 to £2 every 20 seconds – a decision taken after a long-running campaign against the machines.
A spokesman from the association said: “We anticipate that between 3,000 and 4,000 betting shops will close on high streets and in town centres across the country by 2020. As a result 15,000 to 20,000 high street jobs could be lost.
“High street betting shops also face similar issues to other retailers, like competition from other forms of gambling, and the increasing costs of rent and business rates.”
Marc Etches, chief executive of the charity Gamble Aware, believes that the rising use of smartphones has given people easy access to sports betting, casino games and slots.
He said: “We are very concerned there are potentially no limits to the amount that gamblers can lose online.”
