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About Dragon Shrine
In his interview Done framed these closures as part of a broader decline in high street retail venues. He predicted that by 2030, betting shops could disappear entirely.
“I believe that by 2030 we will have no betting shops. The high street will be dead. We’ve already worked it out that with the increases in taxes and salaries and other wages it won’t be worth operating,” he said.
Betfred currently sponsors Britain’s five classic horse races, including the Epsom Derby. Done said the company had yet to agree on extending those sponsorships amid the tax uncertainty, warning that reduced regulated gambling provision could push problem gamblers towards the black market.
How to play Dragon Shrine
“We would like to see stronger player protection measures across African markets,” Akolade adds. “That includes enforcement of effective age and identity verification, meaningful self-exclusion systems, responsible gambling advertising standards, improved access to counselling and treatment services and stronger action against illegal operators.
“The current landscape pays lip service to responsible gaming, and you’d hardly see effective player protection architecture other than messages asking players to gamble responsibly and surface-level awareness campaigns.
“Having a minimum standard in player protection is one of the aims of the network. Our view is that responsible gaming regulations need to move beyond being paper-based requirements to actual standards that are upheld as a regulatory requirement.”
What is Dragon Shrine?
Several other operators have responded to the UK tax hikes by announcing shop closures.
In March, William Hill told staff it plans to permanently close approximately 200 of its retail shops in the UK, around 15% of Evoke’s retail estate.
Last month, meanwhile, Betfred announced plans to shutter 132 of its UK betting shops, reducing its workforce by over 600 employees.
