Former Essex Bookmaker Location Set to Become 24-Hour Mini Casino – Your Thurrock

The gambling industry in the UK generates revenues exceeding £15 billion every year. Despite this, the amount of licensed betting offices (LBOs) in the UK has dropped by approximately 30% in five years, resulting in the closure of 2,400 shops.

Betting operators have undertaken severe cost-cutting strategies and restructured how remaining LBOs operate in recent years as consumer trends shift towards the online betting market.

While this is bad news for staff being laid off, it also works in the favor of betting operators who have been keen to push their customer base towards digital gambling options.

In-store marketing campaigns and the ability to collect winnings from LBOs helped traditional high-street bookmakers transition to the online market. Anyone who has visited a betting office in recent years will also notice the number of gaming machines and betting terminals now in place.

Gambling expert Jeremy Olson explains that consumers who gamble at UK online casinos can enjoy a wider variety of games and payment options with state-of-the-art technology creating fully immersive gaming experiences.

Convenience is also a massive factor when it comes to the popularity of online gambling, with consumers able to access websites and dedicated apps at any time of the day or night wherever they have internet access.

Improved connectivity and the proliferation of smartphones in the UK are driving factors for online commerce. Studies have shown that as much as 94% of UK consumers over the age of 16 now own a smartphone with 50% having access to 5G. 

This shift in gambling trends has left many properties empty in High Streets around the UK, but a proposal to transform one such unit in Essex has been approved, bringing employment opportunities and footfall back to Southend High Street.

The building has sat empty since it was vacated by William Hill in 2020, and the prime location looking onto the Victoria Shopping Centre should be the perfect option for Future Leisure Ltd’s latest venture.

The property was previously a bank before being taken over by William Hill, and the licence application requested the transformation of the ground floor unit being transformed into a gaming centre or ‘mini-casino’.

The approved plan includes permission to open 24 hours a day and seven days a week with the licence agreement including several stipulations as part of a crime prevention plan.

The premises will operate recorded CCTV and implement procedures to protect vulnerable customers. The operation will create seven new full-time jobs as well as three part-time employment opportunities.

Future Leisure Ltd’s head offices are located in Middlesex and operates 21 other premises across London and its surrounding areas.

The closure of William Hill in the premises in 2020 came as the operator moved to reduce overheads associated with the running of physical operations. 

At one point, Southend had the highest per-person concentration of bookmakers in Essex with 1 for every 3,758 people. This figure was 46% higher than that of its closest rival Harlow.

The town’s 36 LBOs that operated in 2014 created 200 jobs for local people, but the saturation of the High Street with betting offices was never likely to last. 

This new operation offers something new to the area and its 24-hour accessibility will also help to attract customers who struggle to make the regular opening hours of traditional betting shops in the area.

There is no date set for when the work to transform the vacant lot will be completed, but Essex consumers will still have a variety of land-based and online betting facilities to keep them entertained into 2025.