market
and we’re very flexible on the odds we can offer.” Their promotions include “Super
Saturday”, where members receive a £2 free bet and £5 free plays on a machine, while on Wednesdays they do a Chinese evening. Customers who place a minimum £3 bet on Wednesdays get a voucher for a free Chinese take away from the Golden Dragon in nearby Bridge Street. They can drop in anytime after 4.30pm and take their choice from 16 items on the menu ranging from a mixed platter to chicken fried rice, sweet and sour pork to beef curry. It’s a unique concept, open exclusively to members of Camelot’s Excalibur loyalty scheme, which currently has around 400 members. While Newquay and Truro in part
but the younger generation have no trouble using it. We’ve also taken MRG’s advertising screens. We don’t put paper posters up in the windows, we use an electronic screen and we’ve also got two behind the counter.” The first item customers see as they
walk through the door is the Easybet information terminal. It may be of scant interest to regular punters but for the newcomer it provides valuable information about bets and how to place them. It explains, for example, how to fill out a coupon, what a Lucky 15 is, and how the Irish Lottery and 49s work. There’s a betting calculator, betting glossary, Easybet rules plus responsible gaming details.
may be known as holiday destinations, Camelot’s Excalibur Loyalty System, which is in use at all four locations, is proof of their high regard for local customers and enables the holder to collect loyalty points and take advantage of promotions. Each new member is awarded an
introductory 500 loyalty points. On each visit they insert the card in a machine and receive 50 points, with a further 500 if they attend on their birthday. Customers can redeem the loyalty points at the arcade or betting shop counter for refreshment items such as cans of coke or alcohol free beer, or chocolate bars, free plays on a designated AWP machine, a £5 win horse bet or (in arcades only) one-hour internet access. For those who cannot always get to the
from 9.00am to 9.30pm, consistent with the arcade’s opening hours. Their four FOBTs comprise two from Cyberview and two from GamesTech in order to offer a wider variety of games. They obtain their early prices from
Manny Bernstein and use Super Soccer’s football coupons. “The coupons are proving very popular,” observes Simon. “It’s quite a big part of our trade. “We started off with A Bet A systems
Equipped with TurfTV, the shop is open
“By putting it all on here has helped me to focus on all those points,” says Simon, who admits that in the past he didn’t even know how to place a bet on a horse. “When we started out, the traditional betting shop had a very narrow clientele, people who’d been doing it for years. A lot of people are afraid to go into betting shops so we wanted to try and change that perspective and open it up for anyone to come in. We haven’t experienced such a barrier in the arcades, especially in Newquay because you get families coming in anyway and it breaks that barrier down. “Our clientele is gradually building. It’s
a very slow process. You’ve got to allow two, three or four years to build up trade. You’d always like it to be quicker but it’s on track and it looks like in three years we’ll be on target.”n
Above: Simon Kellam Below: Camelot Easybet’s Gaming Lounge is on a separate level
Pictures Mary Pitt
shop, Camelot Easybet has a successful telebetting facility, which allows customers to lodge a cash deposit and place their bets by phone.
– they were reasonably priced and fairly easy to use, and there was good training with it. We have since added a self service touch screen terminal and we’ve found it very useful when we do promotions. “We’ve had MRG Systems’ DailyForm
screens recently installed. It’s just been updated to the next stage of the programme, which has all the non-runners and the latest prices, so that’s a great help to customers and staff. There are still those who use the traditional newspapers
visit
www.bosmag.co.uk BOS Magazine July/August 2010 9
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