Betting shop robberies: Reducing the risk to retail staff

Banks, James; Addis, Nicholas; Waters, Jaime

Abstract

The paper presents research findings from the first UK study to examine betting shop robberies with a view to improving staff safety. The paper examines the characteristics of betting shop robberies through a Content Analysis of 228 national and local newspaper reports over a two-year period between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2017. Available evidence indicates that betting shop robberies reported in national and local UK newspapers often take place at night when loan working is more likely to occur and typically involve violence or the threat of violence, and the use of a weapon. Greater guardianship of betting shop premises, through an increase in the number of 'frontline' personnel, particularly at night, could help to reduce the risk to retail staff. Moreover, reducing the financial reward for offenders, and increasing the time and effort necessary to commit an offence, as well as their risk of detection, is likely to reduce the occurrence of betting shop robberies.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 16, 2020
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 24, 2022
• Journal: Gaming Law Review
• Print ISSN: 2572-5300
• Electronic ISSN: 2572-5327
• Publisher: Mary Ann Liebert
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 592-599
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/glr2.2020.0019
• Keywords: Crime, robbery, gambling, violence, licensed betting offices
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9903257
• Publisher URL: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/glr2.2020.0019