It has been reported that the first person to be called a “bookmaker” was Harry Ogden back in the mid-1790s who operated his business from the Newmarket Heath racetrack in Suffolk County, England.
As a result of the passage of the Gaming Act in 1845, all forms of gambling outside of the racetracks in the UK became prohibited.
The industry was transformed in 1961 when the UK government legalized betting shops allowing gamblers to place bets outside of the racetracks. This regulation created the foundation of the industry as we know it today and allowed for the growth and popularity of betting to expand to other major sports such as soccer, tennis, and golf.
To put into numbers how far the industry has changed in just 50+ years since the legalization of betting shops was approved, betting shops in the UK now are numbered at more than 9,000 with most of them being owned and operated by the big three players in the offline industry: William Hill, Ladbrokes and Coral.
