Has Ladbrokes changed in 34 years? You BET it has!
Karen Ross is a master of all things Ladbrokes. Having joined in February 1987, she has seen several changes in one of the UK’s biggest bookmakers. She has taken it all within her stride and become one of the best in her trade.
In the year Karen joined Ladbrokes, the company acquired Hilton International, which cost them £645 million. By that point, TVs had only been allowed in betting shops for 11 months. First introduced in March 1986, they were a revolutionary change for the industry. Before this point, a small portable TV or radio would be behind the counter but was not for the customer’s use. Karen said, “I first began as a board marker which I did every Saturday.
“Back then, a Saturday was the day all the men who’d been at work all week would come in. We were only open from a quarter past ten in the morning until six at night, so the men who worked during the week were rarely in except for the weekend.”
Board markers were responsible for writing the odds against a horse’s name. This allowed customers to take a price before the races instead of the starting price, which was the case up until then. Karen’s shops are now open from as early as half eight in the morning until half nine at night, a significant change from when she could be home at half six. She said, “We are open every Sunday, but it wasn’t always like that.
“It didn’t start until 1999 when one of the shops in Shettleston trialled it. I was one of the first to try working a Sunday.”
The introduction of Sunday opening happened at the same time Ladbrokes acquired Sky in its shops. This meant customers could not only bet but also watch football throughout the day.
Fixed odd betting terminals (FOBTs) were introduced in the shop in 2001. At the time, the shops were only allowed a maximum of two customers. This has, however, now increased to four. It is thought that there are close to 35,000 FOBTs in many betting shops around the UK. Karen explained, “The FOBTs are a massive part of our profit nowadays.
“I think if they were ever taken away, you would see the number of bookies on the high street half almost overnight.”
Ladbrokes and the betting industry have had to learn to adapt over the years to keep their customers happy and profits high. Currently, there are 6,735 betting shops in the UK as of September 2020. Compared to 7,683 in March 2020. The drop obviously being so significant due to the pandemic. Many people changed to online betting, which has seen most shops experience a drop in their usual customer levels pre-pandemic.
With this in mind, it is challenging to try and predict what the gambling industry will look like in five years.
Karen said, “I see myself being retired in five years’ time. I’ve worked here for so long that I feel it will definitely be time for me to move on.”