SodjesSixteenIncher Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Please tell me where I'm wrong, with something to back it up too. Keep reading past wherever you've stopped and you'll find independent studies showing the clustering of shops to deliberately target the poor and vulnerable. I'm sorry but I really laughed at the idea of bookies opening shops to poach talented staff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 It seems to be more 'monopolising' the market where I stay - obviously none of Dundee is particularly affluent but it's nearly all Ladbrokes. Within a 1.5 mile drive from my house there's a ladbrokes in Douglas, Happyhillock, Fintry, Whitfield and one in between on the Arbroath Road. In the same area the only others you find are a single Corals and a Willie Hills. It's like Ladbrokes are cornering the market. They opened the Happyhillock one up just a few months back in an absolutely enormous former grocers shop. When it opened I wondered how it would get on as the Douglas one is not more than a 5 minute walk on foot and Fintry and Whitfield a 2 minute drive. It's busy every time I go in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 It seems to be more 'monopolising' the market where I stay - obviously none of Dundee is particularly affluent but it's nearly all Ladbrokes. Within a 1.5 mile drive from my house there's a ladbrokes in Douglas, Happyhillock, Fintry, Whitfield and one in between on the Arbroath Road. In the same area the only others you find are a single Corals and a Willie Hills. It's like Ladbrokes are cornering the market. They opened the Happyhillock one up just a few months back in an absolutely enormous former grocers shop. When it opened I wondered how it would get on as the Douglas one is not more than a 5 minute walk on foot and Fintry and Whitfield a 2 minute drive. It's busy every time I go in. Dundee has always been a Ladbrokes city, and their presence has increased, but it's far from a monopoly. In 2001 there were 10 Ladbrokes, 4 Hills, 1 Coral, 1 Stanley and 6 Barretts, plus a couple of independents. These days off the top of my head there are 15 Ladbrokes, 7 Hills, 3 Corals, 1 Betfred, plus a couple of independents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SodjesSixteenIncher Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 It seems to be more 'monopolising' the market where I stay - obviously none of Dundee is particularly affluent but it's nearly all Ladbrokes. Within a 1.5 mile drive from my house there's a ladbrokes in Douglas, Happyhillock, Fintry, Whitfield and one in between on the Arbroath Road. In the same area the only others you find are a single Corals and a Willie Hills. It's like Ladbrokes are cornering the market. They opened the Happyhillock one up just a few months back in an absolutely enormous former grocers shop. When it opened I wondered how it would get on as the Douglas one is not more than a 5 minute walk on foot and Fintry and Whitfield a 2 minute drive. It's busy every time I go in. Rumour is big Daz and Pete from Fintry are absolute stars and Coral have decided to open a shop there to prize them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paris Hilltoon Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 It seems to be more 'monopolising' the market where I stay - obviously none of Dundee is particularly affluent but it's nearly all Ladbrokes. Within a 1.5 mile drive from my house there's a ladbrokes in Douglas, Happyhillock, Fintry, Whitfield and one in between on the Arbroath Road. In the same area the only others you find are a single Corals and a Willie Hills. It's like Ladbrokes are cornering the market. They opened the Happyhillock one up just a few months back in an absolutely enormous former grocers shop. When it opened I wondered how it would get on as the Douglas one is not more than a 5 minute walk on foot and Fintry and Whitfield a 2 minute drive. It's busy every time I go in. I'm the same. Within a ten minute walk I have cleppie road, the one at tesco metro opposite frews, then the Albert St and Dura St branches. Which are just ridiculios. They can't be more than 200 yards apart and are the only bookies in the vicinity. A 5 minute drive could get me to fintry, Arbroath road or the town. Ladbrokes are everywhere in Dundee. If I had the bankroll available, sharbing would be a piece of piss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Rumour is big Daz and Pete from Fintry are absolute stars and Coral have decided to open a shop there to prize them away. Ahah, yeah that is where the Corals is - it's right over the road. I got to the Fintry shop now and again - Fintry is a betting scheme likes - it's fucking crammed on a Saturday! Most people I know say the Coral opened as so many local Dolphin belters got banned from the 'Laddy' so there was a ready made market there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Has it? I never went to that one even though it's technically closest to me (as you're aware). That wee 'shopping centre' has always given a Ferry boy like me the fear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 One of my first flats when I was a teenager was in Maybole Place and I saw a guy get pretty much killed at those shops the first time I walked up. I never used to leave that flat much - just to go up to the chipper that was at Kellyfield at the time. A guy used to run wild with an axe along the landings now and again and someone in the block I was in kept a horse in his flat for a month. A horse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 It's different now - the part i live in is almost "outer ferry" it's so quiet. You don't have to go far to end up in the 'hood though! When i first moved into this flat I checked my closest bookies and it says a lot that I used the Douglas one (full of Lea Rigg belters and jakes) and the Fintry one (full of Dolphin belters and jakes) rather than the closest Whitfield branch! I place most of my lines in the Albert Street one as it's closest to the local but a tip o' the hat to the Happyhillock branch - it's still at that stage where it's all bright and clean and the staff are crushingly nice to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpudNuts Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Ferry folk would debate that you actually live in the ferry if the nearest ladbrokes is in Whitfield! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 The nearest Ladbrokes to the ferry is in Douglas. The Ferry has a Willie Hills and seemingly they had to pretty much bribe people to get to open it. In the 18 years I grew up there - no bookmakers at all. I also come from West Ferry so look down on 'normal' Ferry folk anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 That one is technically beyond the Angus border - is it not? The "welcome to Angus" sign is at Reres Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gus Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Douglas is just as close I'd say but - yeah - this is very much a 'local debate for local people' so probably not worth boring everyone else with. I never knew there was a laddies there either - fair play Deeboy you ken yer bookie locales! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 The nearest Ladbrokes to the ferry is in Douglas. The Ferry has a Willie Hills and seemingly they had to pretty much bribe people to get to open it. In the 18 years I grew up there - no bookmakers at all. I also come from West Ferry so look down on 'normal' Ferry folk anyway. Ladbrokes Barnhill is definitely closest, 1.0 miles from centre of Ferry, Douglas Ladbrokes is 2.1 miles from centre of Ferry. Before William Hill there was a bookmakers in Broughty Ferry, it was a green fronted building (still is) at the north of Ambrose Street. Can't remember what chain, it might have been an independent. I remember waiting outside it when my dad put our Grand National bets on when I was about 7 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattydfc Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Whitfield is the scariest scheme in Dundee by a fucking long shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeAreElgin Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 ^ eh? Why would you not get a £50 bet on a horse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 ^ eh? Why would you not get a £50 bet on a horse? £50 is maybe a bit of an extreme example, although it's not unknown to have a £50 bet refused or offered at significantly worse odds than advertised, but the general point he makes is absolutely correct. Bookmakers used to be willing to take decent sized bets, occasionally they would lose but they knew that they would come out on top in the long run. Nowadays, they are so risk averse they don't want to take any bets that give them any chance at all of losing money on an event. Why take risks on sports when you know you have guaranteed income from the four machines in your shop? And if people aren't betting their money on sports, that gives them more money to put into the machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeAreElgin Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Highland league/juniors betting is restricted to £50, other than that there's not a market that's limited to that extent. X factor maybe? Are you betting on the X factor? What do you even consider to be a decent sized bet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeAreElgin Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Highland league/juniors betting is restricted to £50, other than that there's not a market that's limited to that extent. X factor maybe? Are you betting on the X factor? What do you even consider to be a decent sized bet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mid-table Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Highland league/juniors betting is restricted to £50, other than that there's not a market that's limited to that extent. X factor maybe? Are you betting on the X factor? What do you even consider to be a decent sized bet? I've never bet on a tv show, not even a Big Brother eviction which used to be a huge betting market. I rarely bet in shops these days. I would say a decent sized bet is £500 upwards. EPOS systems naturally make it easier and instantaneous for bookmakers to manage their liabilities. And much like the stock exchange, it's not people who dictate prices now, it's computer programs. Blue4578 could talk a lot more about this specific issue than I can, he has spent whole days of travelling across England picking up winnings from various bookmakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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