Bookie Belt: William Hill, Betfred, Ladbrokes, and Paddy Power Are Opening Bookmakers

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: February 26, 2022

There is a street in one of the poorest areas of England named Betting Belt where a group of four gambling companies opened bookmakers several meters apart from each other. A number of gambling establishments have sprung up on Washwood Heath in Birmingham’s Ward End, an area with low earnings and high unemployment.

Residents can gamble at William Hill, Ladbrokes, Betfred, and Paddy Power branches located a few meters from each other. Politicians and locals are now criticizing big betting operators for targeting the weak in one of the country’s deprived areas.

None of the 4 Major Bookmakers Replied to MailOnline’s Call For Comment

Amandeep Khaira, 44, a father of two living in Ward End, said: “‘Some are unhappy, not only in some cases on religious grounds, but also because of the impact on poor and vulnerable families. It is no coincidence they have deliberately targeted a deprived area to try and make the most money to line their pockets without of poorer members of society.”

He further added that this is not ethical as they are aware that they might find a lot of gambling addicts there, which is why they have decided to open their bookmakers in those areas.

Research About Betting Operators in the UK

A recent study by the University of Bristol found that a fifth of all betting operators in British is now located in the most deprived areas.

It turns out that bookmakers are ten times highly likely to be located in poor areas than in Rich towns.

A White Paper agreement calling for an amendment to the betting legalization has been delayed until May. According to Martin Straker-Welds, the national betting laws did not do sufficient work to save the poorest people.

He also added that the hackneyed regulation affects people’s lives and our values as a municipality. Straker-Welds also explained that the huge payoffs in this business are being carried out from those who are poor and cannot afford it.

Charles Ritchie and Liz founded the charity Betting With Lives after their dear son Jack committed suicide five years ago. It is said that almost 500 young users expire each year from betting addiction. They previously stated that there are many betting operators who are targeting vulnerable and young people.

King’s Norton Employment Consultant Alex Aitken also recounts the sad matter of Luke Ashton of Leicester, who committed suicide while attempting to stop betting addiction. He explained that Jack tried to get out of the betting, but was caught during the lockdown after falling into the greed of free bets. According to him, the sad truth is that 86% of the profits from online betting come from only 5% of players.