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www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com
A friendly environment
The retail betting business contributes around £235 million in Scotland through taxes, rates and salary costs.
B
etting shops are an important part of the fabric of Scotland’s high
streets, supporting local jobs, the retail sector and the public purse, but they also serve as important community hubs, where local people can socialise and have a bet in a safe and friendly environment. More than this, Ladbrokes
Coral, owned by the GVC Group, insists its wider contribution to the economy should not be ignored. The company, a category sponsor of The Glasgow Business Awards, is the biggest multi-channel betting operator in the UK and Ireland with 3,300
betting shops and delivering digital betting through desktop and mobile betting applications for the Ladbrokes, Coral and Betdaq brands. As an industry, the retail
betting business contributes around £235 million in Scotland through taxes, rent, rates and salary costs. Ladbrokes Coral employs
over 20,000 people across Britain and Ireland and is a passionate supporter and sponsor of football, horse racing and sports, with its biggest sponsorship being its sponsorship of the SPFL. “We’re very much
community based, we build relationships within communities and we tend to have relationships where we can keep an eye on our customers, particularly our older ones. This sense of community spirit is alive across the industry,” says Regional Director Chris Hector. In 2017, shop teams and
customers from Ladbrokes Coral raised thousands of pounds for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. Following a marathon run of fundraising events, including quiz nights, collection tins in shops and sponsored walks, shop teams from Glasgow and surrounding areas secured a massive £35,000 for much- needed equipment and are on course this year to beat their 2017 fundraising performance.
Betting shops have also helped fund and support responsible gambling
campaigns, including a community campaign in Inverness, and a six month project in Scottish schools and youth groups to highlight the risks associated with problem gambling to young people. “Our teams are very much
part of the community they serve, providing a fun and friendly social haven for those who feel isolated, and raising funds and volunteering for those in need,” Hector added. Ladbrokes’ Dunoon shop
recently beat entrants from across Scotland to win the ‘Community Betting Shop of the Year Award’ for 2018. Launched by ABB
Scotland, the trade body for retail betting shops in Scotland, the competition recognises the contribution betting shop staff make in their local communities through volunteering, fundraising and bringing people together. ABB Scotland spokesman Donald Morrison said: “We launched this competition because we felt it was important to celebrate the amazing work that so many staff do in their local community through fundraising and volunteering. This community spirit is perfectly illustrated in Dunoon, where shop staff have been making a real difference to their communities for years.” Judges awarded the prize
to Ladbrokes Dunoon for their fundraising efforts in support of local charities, sports groups and health facilities. Over the past two decades, shop staff have raised in excess of £50,000 through race nights, coffee mornings, sponsored walks and raffles. Over the past 12 months alone, the team has raised around £5,000 for good causes.
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