What makes the biggest profit at the bookies?

I voted all of them

must be me i hardly ever win

Must be the gee-gees.

Option 7- Idiots.

If it wasn't for idiots betting then they wouldn't make owt.

I don't mind sticking the odd £2 line on a footie coupon but only on the miniscule chance that I get a huge win back (e.g. the sections that'll pay back hundreds of thousands). I don't see the point in betting a fiver to win a tenner, it seems like a mugs game.

If you mean profit bookmakers make in the shops it's probably the machines, lot people who do horses and football can do them without leaving the house by just going online. I'll have bet each day of Cheltenham and may not leave house to do so. Though I tend to limit what I put in my account and only do a combination bet on races on TV. Even now with satellite racing channels people can once more bet and watch without leaving the comfort of their home.

i was in Corals the other day and a guy came off the machines with his ticket.The woman behind the counter pulled a rather largesse of cash out the safe.

Having worked in betting shops for 18 years up to 2003, there is no doubt that the moneyspinners for bookmakers are the FOBT's, gaming machines etc, it doesn't matter how much goes into them only a percentage of that amount ever comes out and there are some seriously addicted gamblers out there, I watched a bloke put £2000 into a machine one afternoon and it lasted him about 45 minutes, he would win a few quid, collect it and put it straight back in, sure enough at the end of the day the whole lot was in there. Counting the takings from those things each night is quite unbelievable, they are quite literally a licence to print money. I dare say if bookmakers had their way these days they would just have wall to wall machines. Even though I still have a bet regularly I very rarely venture into a betting shop these days.

It's the machines by a mile. Ripper is right!

IDIOTS???? why are people who like a bet idiots

I would say a better word is fools!

Agreed. I've family who work in a bookies and the machines keep these places open now given the amount of telephone and internet betting that takes place. Loads of lads are now barring themselves out of shops because of the amount they throw in them.

I heard a feature on radio or TV last week (genuinely can't remember ) about the increase and roaring success at the moment of high street bookies, it's all down to these machines, the betting shops are actually limited to the amount they can have in one shop. They are countering this by simply opening more shops to put them in, an indication of how profitable and dangerous they are. They are fixed odds so the bookies cannot lose here. Whilst other high street shops can't survive bookies are popping up all over the place.... strange that.

If you know that and are prepared to put money in them you are an idiot.

Just like fruities then aren't they? They normally pay out about 73% I think

Because they're not capable of reading the whole post to find the answer out before replying?