The new sportsbook has been made possible through recent land-based gambling reforms in Britain.
Flutter Entertainment-owned Paddy Power has announced the opening of a new land-based sportsbook venue inside the Hippodrome Casino in London’s Leicester Square.
The facility opened on Thursday evening, with players having access to a range of facilities. These include more than 80 screens showing live coverage of sports events from around the world.
Customers can place in-person wagers at dedicated betting windows within the venue. In addition, they can access a number of diverse casino table games and physical slot machines located inside the sportsbook.
Other amenities include a large bar area, multiple dining options and seating areas for viewing live sports.
Paddy Power noted that only bets placed inside the venue can be redeemed. Winning bets from UK Paddy Power high street shops will not be paid out at the new location.
The operator also said the sportsbook will not accept its Play Card, which allows players to carry funds over from their online account to play at retail sites in the UK and Ireland. Other retail vouchers will not be valid for use inside the new sportsbook venue.
“That’s right, the big man’s really gone for it this time,” Paddy Power said when announcing the new venue. “He’s curated the ultimate sport lover’s haven that is also the perfect spot for a night out, a bite to eat, to watch the game and to have a flutter if you fancy.
“It’s like the Olympics met a pub and had a beautiful, chaotic baby. And, as Paddy’s getting involved, there’s space to place a flutter. Whether you’re backing a winner or just in it for the drama, placing a bet here feels better than a last-minute equaliser.”
Reforms open doors for expanded land-based gambling
The sportsbook has been made possible by recent reforms within the land-based gambling sector in the UK.
In May, the government published long-awaited draft proposals for land-based casino reforms. These outlined opportunities for operators to increase their gaming machine count and limitations on gambling floor space for casinos.
Licensed casino premises can install up to 80 gaming machines. However, this is only possible provided that the gambling area is larger than 280 sqm and the number of machines does not exceed five times the number of gaming tables used in the casino.
The new reforms also opened the door to physical sports betting inside casinos. Previously, bettors could place a bet on their mobile phone while in a casino, but not via a self-service betting terminal (SSBT).
Not long after the draft reforms were announced, Rank Group said it would take advantage of the new rules. The operator said it would add 882 gaming machines to its UK Grosvenor estate before the end of the year. It was already operating 1,367 machines across its 51-strong venue network.
However, Rank later stated its suite could be increased to 3,112 machines in the next two to three years. It indicated it would engage with government officials in Scotland to further increase its machine offering there.
Robert Fletcher
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