On a kilometre-long stretch of high road that runs from Stratford in East London toward Leytonstone, eight betting shops are situated within minutes’ walking distance of each other. It is a sight that has become common across Britain over the last 20 years, and one that has frequently been used to exemplify the decline of the high street. Yet while the proliferation of betting shops in spots like this across Britain may suggest a booming industry, bricks and mortar bookies are in decline. The number of high street bookmakers in Britain has plunged by around 30pc in the last five years, according to figures from the Local Data Company. Almost 2,400 have shut their doors for good during this period. The scale of this decline makes bookies the second fastest disappearing business from British high streets, behind bank branches. That is not to say that Britons have gone cold on gambling. Excluding lotteries, the gross yield of the industry in Britain (the amount companies took home after deducting players’ winnings) rose by 9.3pc to £10.9bn in 2023, according to the Gambling Commission. What has changed is their presence on the high street. Major brands including William Hill and Ladbrokes closed...