William Hill has announced it will close 700 high - street betting shops , putting 4,500 jobs at risk . "You are also likely to see stores close elsewhere in the market from independents and potentially from Betfred The gambling company said the closures were due to UK regulation , which reduced the maximum stake on fixed - odds betting shops to £ 2 . Analyst Gavin Smith predicted the closure of 2,000 to 3,000 of the UK 's 8,400 betting shops , with companies such as Ladbrokes Coral and Betfred expected to follow William Hill 's lead . The regulation was put in place to support vulnerable people , but Kelleher pointed out most people are employed in retail gambling , so high street closures will have an economic impact .
William Hill has announced it will close 700 high - street betting shops , putting 4,500 jobs at risk . The gambling company said the closures were due to UK regulation , which reduced the maximum stake on fixed - odds betting shops to £ 2 . Analyst Gavin Smith predicted the closure of 2,000 to 3,000 of the UK 's 8,400 betting shops , with companies such as Ladbrokes Coral and Betfred expected to follow William Hill 's lead . The regulation was put in place to support vulnerable people , but Kelleher pointed out most people are employed in retail gambling , so high street closures will have an economic impact .