Walking into a betting shop for the first time can be more awkward than the bet itself. Nobody explains the slips, the terminals or the etiquette, and most regulars learned by copying someone else. This guide takes you through a visit from the door to the payout, covering both the paper slip and the self-service terminal, and pointing out where the rules are fixed by law and where they simply vary from shop to shop.
Before you go in
You must be 18 or over. Staff are required to ask for proof of age if they think you might be under 18, and most chains run a policy of challenging anyone who looks under 21 or under 25. If you are young-looking, take photo ID such as a passport, driving licence or a PASS-hologram card. Without it you will be refused, politely but firmly, whatever your actual age.
You do not need an account, a card or an app. A betting shop is one of the few places where you can bet anonymously with cash. Most shops also accept debit cards at the counter or on the terminals, but not all, and credit cards cannot be used for gambling in Great Britain. If you are relying on a card, it is worth checking the shop page on BookieFinder or asking at the counter before you fill anything in.
What you will see inside
A typical shop has three areas that matter to you:
- The counter, staffed by one or two cashiers who take slips, pay out and answer questions.
- The slip stands, with blank betting slips, small pens, and racks of printed race cards and football coupons.
- The screens and terminals: televisions showing live racing and results, screens showing odds, and one or more self-service betting terminals (SSBTs).
Most shops also have gaming machines. These are separate from sports betting and are covered later.
Option one: the paper slip
The blank slip is a small form, usually with boxes for the time and venue of the event, your selection, the type of bet and the stake. There is no wrong way to lay it out as long as it is legible and unambiguous. A clear slip for a horse race looks like this:
2.30 Kempton
Grey Sonata
£5 win
For a football match, write the fixture and the market:
Everton v Fulham
Fulham to win
£10
A few conventions worth knowing:
- Win means the selection must finish first. Each-way is two bets, one to win and one to place, so “£5 each-way” costs £10. Our each-way guide explains the place terms.
- If you write the price you want (for example “6/1”), you are asking to take that price now. If you leave it blank, the bet is settled at the starting price (SP), whatever the odds are when the race starts. Staff will usually write the current price on the slip when you take a price.
- For accumulators, list each selection on its own line and write the bet type and total stake at the bottom (“treble £2” or “5-fold £1”). Our accumulator guide has the arithmetic.
- Anything you are unsure of, ask the cashier before handing the slip over. They deal with beginners every day.
Take the slip to the counter with your stake. The cashier scans or keys it, takes the money, and hands you a printed receipt showing your selections, the odds where applicable, the stake and a barcode. Check it there and then. The receipt is your bet; the handwritten slip is not.
Option two: the self-service terminal
SSBTs are touch-screen machines that offer far more markets than the counter, particularly on football (correct scores, goalscorers, bet builders) and in-play betting. The steps are the same across the main chains, with cosmetic differences:
- Choose the sport and event on screen and tap your selections. They appear in a bet slip panel.
- Enter the stake and choose the bet type if you have more than one selection.
- Insert cash into the note acceptor, or pay by debit card where the terminal supports it. Some terminals do not take cash and instead print a slip you pay for at the counter.
- The terminal prints a receipt with a barcode.
Winning terminal bets are usually paid at the counter when you present the receipt, and some terminals print a payout ticket you exchange for cash. If a terminal has a problem, do not walk away; tell the cashier immediately, as they can see the transaction on their system.
Coupons and race cards
Printed football coupons list the weekend’s matches with prices for home, draw and away, and sometimes markets like both teams to score. You mark your selections, write the stake and bet type on the coupon itself, and hand it in. Race cards are the day’s runners and riders for each meeting, useful for looking up a horse’s form before you write the slip. Both are free to take.
Watching the result and getting paid
Results appear on the shop screens within minutes of the event finishing, though horse racing results can take a little longer if there is a stewards’ enquiry or a photo finish. When your bet has won, take the receipt to the counter. The cashier scans it and pays you in cash, or back to your card if you paid by card and the shop offers that.
Two things affect what you are paid:
- Rule 4 deductions apply in horse and greyhound racing when a runner is withdrawn after you took a price. The deduction is a fixed number of pence in the pound set by the size of the withdrawn runner’s price. Our Rule 4 guide covers the scale.
- Dead heats split the stake between the tied runners. A dead heat for first between two horses pays half your stake at full odds.
There is no tax to pay on winnings. Betting duty on the punter was abolished in 2001 and bookmakers now pay a duty on their profits instead.
How long you have to collect
Receipts do not have to be cashed on the day. Chains typically allow a long period, in some cases months, to claim winnings, but the exact rule is set by each bookmaker’s terms and is printed on the receipt or displayed in the shop. Check it rather than assuming.
Lost receipts
A lost receipt is a real problem. The receipt is the proof of the bet, and most bookmakers’ rules say they will not pay without it. If you lose one, go back to the shop as soon as possible and tell the manager the time, the shop and the selections; some chains can trace a bet from their records and will pay at their discretion, but there is no guarantee. Photographing your receipt as soon as you get it costs nothing and removes most of the risk.
The gaming machines
The machines along the wall are gaming machines, not part of sports betting. Since April 2019 the maximum stake on the roulette-style category B2 games has been £2 per spin, and shops are limited to four machines each. They are designed to be fast, and they account for a large share of the losses in betting shops. If you came in to bet on a race, it is perfectly normal to leave without touching them.
Etiquette and practical points
- You can stand and watch for as long as you like without betting. Nobody will move you on.
- Ask if you are unsure. Cashiers would much rather explain a slip than void a bet later because it was ambiguous.
- Minimum stakes are low, often £1 or less on the terminals. There is no pressure to bet more than you intended.
- Keep your receipt somewhere safe until the bet is settled and paid.
- If you find yourself betting more than you planned, or chasing losses, the shop can help you self-exclude. Our self-exclusion guide explains how the national scheme works.
Finding a shop
Use the shop finder to see the betting shops near you, with opening hours where the bookmaker publishes them, the brand, and directions. Each shop page also notes when the information was collected, so you can judge how current it is before you travel.