The Times have produced an interesting article following the publication of the William Hill 2019 annual report on Wednesday – writes Floyd Amphlett.
Under the headline “William Hill punters are going to the dogs” the newspaper highlights the first increase in greyhound turnover in over a decade. It noted that while ‘like for like’ gaming revenues had fallen by 30% following the crackdown on the FOBT machines, sports betting revenues increased by 8% “on the back of a 6% increase in wagering, “with material increases seen in greyhounds, other sports and virtual products.”
It appears that with the lower jackpots offered by ‘the machines’, punters are switching to live product, including greyhounds. All this is set against the closure of 713 of the company’s betting shops.
It remains to be seen if the Hills trend is repeated in the remainder of the High Street, though it would surely represent good news for the greyhound industry, both in the importance of the product, and a turnaround in contributions to the British Greyhound Racing Fund.
