Bookies Reopening

okidoki987 · 01-12-2020 3:37pm

okidoki987 wrote: »

Wednesday 2nd is confirmed according to some people in the business.

Guess I shouldn't have asked them "when are you back in work?".

Very quiet this morning in Boyles and PP in Stillorgan.

SteM · 01-12-2020 3:49pm

Their business will be way down until pubs reopen unfortunately.

tayto lover · 01-12-2020 9:09pm

Many lads I know have a lot more money in their pockets because the bookies were closed.
I like a wee flutter myself but some lads just don’t know when to stop.

Happy4all · 22-12-2020 2:17pm

So are the now closed for Stephen's day onwards?

okidoki987 · 22-12-2020 8:21pm

Happy4all wrote: »

So are the now closed for Stephen's day onwards?

Not according to the staff I was asking today.
For some unknown reason, they will be allowed to stay open provided they monitor and police the numbers in the shops.
I would say they will have to close especially on the likes of Stephens Day when they see the numbers that will be in there for full racing and live Premier League matches.
There's no live Irish or UK racing now until Stephens Day and they are still open full day tomorrow and 3pm Christmas Eve.
Makes no sense when you compare it to having members of other households in your house.

.

finbarrk · 26-12-2020 12:29am

So do we think betting shops are open tomorrow?

mike2084 · 26-12-2020 12:30am

Yes they are, they are classed as non-essential retail which have been allowed remain open in this phase. Of course it may change in the coming days, but they will open tomorrow.

razorhead · 26-12-2020 7:39am

okidoki987 wrote: »

Not according to the staff I was asking today.
For some unknown reason, they will be allowed to stay open provided they monitor and police the numbers in the shops.
I would say they will have to close especially on the likes of Stephens Day when they see the numbers that will be in there for full racing and live Premier League matches.
There's no live Irish or UK racing now until Stephens Day and they are still open full day tomorrow and 3pm Christmas Eve.
Makes no sense when you compare it to having members of other households in your house. .

There was no live racing because there was no racing in the UK or Ireland on them days, - just saying. As for the remainder of your message/text.......

Short price but Momella - 12.59 Wincanton - should be hard beat....

Won at 7/4.

pottokblue · 26-12-2020 1:01pm

My local was open this morning no crowds and no racing post...I'm not sure if they allow BYOB for the full racing and live premier league

finbarrk · 27-12-2020 2:26am

Well, thankfully, my local PP was open today anyway. I was there at about 11.30am, maybe 15 in there at that time. Everyone was happy to have somewhere to go for a while.

okidoki987 · 27-12-2020 1:43pm

razorhead wrote: »

As for the remainder of your message/text.......

Short price but Momella - 12.59 Wincanton - should be hard beat....

Won at 7/4.

Think you might have got me mixed up with someone else there.

Well, thankfully, my local PP was open today anyway. I was there at about 11.30am, maybe 15 in there at that time. Everyone was happy to have somewhere to go for a while

Seemed to be pretty busy all day yesterday in the ones I was in.
Some punters went in, placed their bets and left before racing started, others just stayed there all afternoon during racing.
I got locked out of 2 bookies yesterday as it was too busy inside, had to wait for people to leave before I got in.

pottokblue · 30-12-2020 2:34pm

I'm gutted they'll be closing again. I already miss travel, gigs, galleries, cinemas, festivals in 2020. Funnily enough not missing restaurants or pubs as much the others. I'm going to be spending lockdown 3 hibernating with the occasional urban nature walk and books, poetry and music. Fingers crossed all will be eased up for Cheltenham 2021

Scoundrel · 30-12-2020 11:14pm

Tomorrow will be the last day opening for at least a month sadly

finbarrk · 01-01-2021 3:54pm

Scoundrel wrote: »

Tomorrow will be the last day opening for at least a month sadly

Big disappointment.

pottokblue · 05-02-2021 5:18pm

Anybody think they'll reopen 5th March 21 or will I have to jump the cliff and go online placepotting????

SteM · 05-02-2021 5:44pm

pottokblue wrote: »

Anybody think they'll reopen 5th March 21 or will I have to jump the cliff and go online placepotting????

A good mate is a shop manger in Ladbrookes and they don't have a clue at the moment. His gut instinct is they won't be opening on the 5th though.

okidoki987 · 05-02-2021 6:07pm

SteM wrote: »

A good mate is a shop manger in Ladbrookes and they don't have a clue at the moment. His gut instinct is they won't be opening on the 5th though.

I'd be surprised if they open that early here.
I'd say they are looking to be open for Cheltenham but would imagine that will be too early.
Betfred in UK have told their staff that they think they will open 5th or 6th March.

SteM · 05-02-2021 6:37pm

okidoki987 wrote: »

I'd be surprised if they open that early here.
I'd say they are looking to be open for Cheltenham but would imagine that will be too early.
Betfred in UK have told their staff that they think they will open 5th or 6th March.

He's praying that they'll be open for Cheltenham alright.

Augme · 07-02-2021 2:58am

I'll be stunned if bookies are open on March 5th or for Cheltenham.

Cerveza · 07-02-2021 2:59am

Yer thirsty lads.

pottokblue · 07-02-2021 1:25pm

Realthirsty more and more since Jan 21st and am having a dry dublin racing festival!

okidoki987 · 07-02-2021 3:49pm

Cerveza wrote: »

Yer thirsty lads.

I'm missing the shop specials and free bets compared to the meagre offerings online.

okidoki987 · 10-02-2021 2:00pm

Hearing from people in the industry that they won't be open before April and it could even be into May

.

Lorikeet111 · 10-02-2021 4:23pm

okidoki987 wrote: »

Hearing from people in the industry that they won't be open before April and it could even be into May .

:eek::mad::(:(:(:(

chancer007 · 16-02-2021 2:15pm

surprised PaddyPower haven't opened a betting kiosk outside their shops! Know some older fellows who like a bet but don't use online..

SteM · 16-02-2021 5:01pm

chancer007 wrote: »

surprised PaddyPower haven't opened a betting kiosk outside their shops! Know some older fellows who like a bet but don't use online..

Doubt they'd be allowed.

chancer007 · 17-02-2021 10:35am

SteM wrote: »

Doubt they'd be allowed.

you are probably correct, didn't Bar One in Dundalk have a kiosk open or something last year & they had to close?
People like my father who dont have an online account will miss doing a few bets..

17-02-2021 11:32am

In every bookie shop in Ireland there must have been a dozen or so regulars, who are "old-timers" whom are sick and tired of not being able to have a bet. They probably never had an account, and most likely never will. Many of them probably don't drink either, so it's probably their only vice/social outing.. A fqd up state of affairs, and shambolic in the way this government :rolleyes: has made a sh1tshow of this whole thing... And now that the major NH festivals are looming, they may feel they've nothing to look forward to, and have lost all hope of ever having a bet again.

#opendabookiesnow

chancer007 · 17-02-2021 11:43am

I was speaking to a manager of a PP shop yesterday...she said rumours in PP HQ is that the bookies will re-open week after Aintree.
My own father loves a bet for Cheltenham...not the same if you do an online bet for him..I think he also likes to check his dockets!...I thought the bookies would have been more innovative...

okidoki987 · 17-02-2021 12:11pm

chancer007 wrote: »

I was speaking to a manager of a PP shop yesterday...she said rumours in PP HQ is that the bookies will re-open week after Aintree.
My own father loves a bet for Cheltenham...not the same if you do an online bet for him..I think he also likes to check his dockets!...I thought the bookies would have been more innovative...

Means missing Cheltenham Festival and Grand National, the 2 biggest racing events of the year for a bookie.
I'd say they are still pushing to open early in March if they can.

If UK bookies open (including NI) around early March and ROI bookies don't,
I know a professional punter who is talking about moving up North until they reopen down here.

chancer007 · 17-02-2021 12:22pm

the bookies have to be pushing hard to reopen..PP staff on full pay, Boylesports staff on PUP + Boylesports topup to full salary.
you can walk into a shop & spend €100's on lotto tickets & euromillions..but you cant walk into a bookies & gamble the same amount of money..

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 12:28pm

Deleted User wrote: »

In every bookie shop in Ireland there must have been a dozen or so regulars, who are "old-timers" whom are sick and tired of not being able to have a bet. They probably never had an account, and most likely never will. Many of them probably don't drink either, so it's probably their only vice/social outing.. A fqd up state of affairs, and shambolic in the way this government :rolleyes: has made a sh1tshow of this whole thing... And now that the major NH festivals are looming, they may feel they've nothing to look forward to, and have lost all hope of ever having a bet again.

#opendabookiesnow

So you reckon the government should open the bookie shops in order to prevent covid spreading!

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 12:31pm

chancer007 wrote: »

I was speaking to a manager of a PP shop yesterday...she said rumours in PP HQ is that the bookies will re-open week after Aintree.
My own father loves a bet for Cheltenham...not the same if you do an online bet for him..I think he also likes to check his dockets!...I thought the bookies would have been more innovative...

Out of curiousity what's the problem with doing his bets for him on line and printing his bet slip for him.

hurleronditch · 17-02-2021 12:35pm

chancer007 wrote: »

you can walk into a shop & spend €100's on lotto tickets & euromillions..but you cant walk into a bookies & gamble the same amount of money..

People tend to not stand around in a Spar for 4 hours watching TVs and waiting for the lotto draw though.

There’s no way they will open them for Cheltenham, it would be a covid nightmare. We’ve all been in a crowded bookies 10 mins before the supreme goes off and you can hardly move in there with the crowds, everyone touching RPs and pens and docket holders.

I do think they should allow some form of kiosk at the doors though. Set up an orderly queueing system, you line up, get to the front and put your bets on. Manage it some way by only allowing bets on Cheltenham, and having the forms like the football where you tick the boxes so some codger doesn’t spend an hour at the top doing his teatime 49s 3 mins before the gold cup goes off.

They could easily be set up with a few forms to do yankees, multiples and the like

17-02-2021 12:36pm

realdanbreen wrote: »

So you reckon the government should open the bookie shops in order to prevent covid spreading!

I never said or inferred anything like that. How on earth you got the government should open the bookie shops in order to prevent covid spreading from my post is beyond me. The only saving grace from your post was that you spelled Government using g in the lower case :pac:

My point re the Government was: if they had handled the situation better (couldn't have done much worse) , then things could well be almost back to normal..

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 12:37pm

okidoki987 wrote: »

I'm missing the shop specials and free bets compared to the meagre offerings online.

? Online specials are always better than shop 'specials'.

Mongfinder General · 17-02-2021 12:38pm

hurleronditch wrote: »

People tend to not stand around in a Spar for 4 hours watching TVs and waiting for the lotto draw though.

There’s no way they will open them for Cheltenham, it would be a covid nightmare. We’ve all been in a crowded bookies 10 mins before the supreme goes off and you can hardly move in there with the crowds, everyone touching RPs and pens and docket holders.

I do think they should allow some form of kiosk at the doors though. Set up an orderly queueing system, you line up, get to the front and put your bets on. Manage it some way by only allowing bets on Cheltenham, and having the forms like the football where you tick the boxes so some codger doesn’t spend an hour at the top doing his teatime 49s 3 mins before the gold cup goes off.

They could easily be set up with a few forms to do yankees, multiples and the like

Something like an ATM Terminal were you just walk up, put your money in and then put your bet on. You could collect there as well,

chancer007 · 17-02-2021 12:39pm

realdanbreen wrote: »

Out of curiousity what's the problem with doing his bets for him on line and printing his bet slip for him.

father is nearly 80, dont live close to him either...would mean printing them off, driving over an hour..wouldnt dream of taking money off him..he prefers to study the form, write his own bets..like a ritual at this stage..he'll have to wait a few more months..

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 12:41pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I never said or inferred anything like that. How on earth you got the government should open the bookie shops in order to prevent covid spreading from my post is beyond me. The only saving grace from your post was that you spelled Government using g in the lower case :pac:

My point re the Government was: if they had handled the situation better (couldn't have done much worse) , then things could well be almost back to normal..

Oh right, so what you are saying is that the government should have closed the bookies earlier and should now keep them closed.

Dr. Bre · 17-02-2021 12:42pm

hurleronditch wrote: »

People tend to not stand around in a Spar for 4 hours watching TVs and waiting for the lotto draw though.

There’s no way they will open them for Cheltenham, it would be a covid nightmare. We’ve all been in a crowded bookies 10 mins before the supreme goes off and you can hardly move in there with the crowds, everyone touching RPs and pens and docket holders.

I do think they should allow some form of kiosk at the doors though. Set up an orderly queueing system, you line up, get to the front and put your bets on. Manage it some way by only allowing bets on Cheltenham, and having the forms like the football where you tick the boxes so some codger doesn’t spend an hour at the top doing his teatime 49s 3 mins before the gold cup goes off.

They could easily be set up with a few forms to do yankees, multiples and the like

Don’t forget the codger who hogs the racing post for an hour

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 12:44pm

chancer007 wrote: »

father is nearly 80, dont live close to him either...would mean printing them off, driving over an hour..wouldnt dream of taking money off him..he prefers to study the form, write his own bets..like a ritual at this stage..he'll have to wait a few more months..

So you'd prefer that at his age and in the current covid situation he should be going into the bookies to place his bets.

chancer007 · 17-02-2021 12:47pm

realdanbreen wrote: »

So you'd prefer that at his age and in the current covid situation he should be going into the bookies to place his bets.

absolutely..writes bets at home...walks to counter with his bets wearing a mask,and out again..no difference to him walking into a shop with his lotto slip
am sure the penny will drop with you soon

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 1:05pm

chancer007 wrote: »

absolutely..writes bets at home...walks to counter with his bets wearing a mask,and out again..no difference to him walking into a shop with his lotto slip
am sure the penny will drop with you soon

Fair enough, he's your old man.
I know I'd prefer to take his bets over the phone and place them for him.

SteM · 17-02-2021 1:13pm

chancer007 wrote: »

absolutely..writes bets at home...walks to counter with his bets wearing a mask,and out again..no difference to him walking into a shop with his lotto slip
am sure the penny will drop with you soon

But that's not how a lot of people use bookies, especially around festivals. They leave it until the last minute to place a bet, they hang around to look at the race and then have a moan afterwards. They might hang around all day and in the mean time people would be standing outside waiting to get in.

Bookies aren't like shops where people just go in do their shopping and then leave. Also, you can control shops entry to shops where people would rarely be in a rush to buy bread and milk but there'll always be some lads that have left it until the last second to get a bet on. Could you imagine the traffic light system they have in Aldi being used in a bookies? It'd be ignored.

17-02-2021 1:41pm

^^^

Am pretty sure that those "last minute / hanging around" punters would be happy to come in for 10-15 mins / half an hour say, from between ten to twelve thirty on the day to get their bets on; having being pretty much starved of a punt for the last several months, in knowing that they can probably watch all the racing on ITV. Am sure that the majority of them/us would be happy with such a setup, and are not so set in their ways that they can't set foot in a shop unless they're guaranteed to be there for 2-4hrs; in these "unprecedented" times..

realdanbreen · 17-02-2021 1:46pm

Deleted User wrote: »

^^^

Am pretty sure that those "last minute / hanging around" punters would be happy to come in for 10-15 mins / half an hour say, from between ten to twelve thirty on the day to get their bets on; having being pretty much starved of a punt for the last several months, in knowing that they can probably watch all the racing on ITV. Am sure that the majority of them/us would be happy with such a setup, and are not so set in their ways that they can't set foot in a shop unless they're guaranteed to be there for 2-4hrs; in these "unprecedented" times..

You should get on to Joe Duffy about it.

17-02-2021 1:51pm

Thought you liked a punt dan... Why are you so "Pro Lockdown"..?? Guess you're alright, cos you've got betting accounts, and think that the Government is looking after our best interests :pac: 7 or 8 punters in a shop at a time is hardly gonna bring about a major increase in cases FFS :rolleyes:

pottokblue · 17-02-2021 1:55pm

I've got the C week off work so might do a few essential trips upnorth but I much rather be in the Box and with my lazy streak I'll probably just end up on the couch

SteM · 17-02-2021 2:14pm

Deleted User wrote: »

^^^

Am pretty sure that those "last minute / hanging around" punters would be happy to come in for 10-15 mins / half an hour say, from between ten to twelve thirty on the day to get their bets on; having being pretty much starved of a punt for the last several months, in knowing that they can probably watch all the racing on ITV. Am sure that the majority of them/us would be happy with such a setup, and are not so set in their ways that they can't set foot in a shop unless they're guaranteed to be there for 2-4hrs; in these "unprecedented" times..

Maybe, maybe not. Hard to say for sure. Anecdotally I know that the last time they were allowed to open the shops that my friend manages had an issue with people staying in and it causing problems for the staff. The pubs that they would normally have gone to to watch the races were all shut.

17-02-2021 2:18pm

The bookies and the RP (who've been gouging their customers for years - last time I bought it was around Christmas, and it was €4.20 then :mad: ) should collaborate, and maybe each shop could print out the twenty or so pages that are relevant to Cheltenham - the Front page, the few pages towards the front that give the trainers' views, the racecard and form, and also that "signpost" (always look at that one) page, and hand them out to customers in the morning. It would be a nice gesture, and that way the punter/s could study the form (many probably aren't even online, or if they are, maybe don't know about 'Racing Sites'.. )

So, if the punter had access to just the Cheltenham form s/he could come back an hour or two later to get their bets on... They could also bet on anything else, if they so wished, but it would be a nice gesture to at least let them/us have the form for the "Greatest 4 days racing on earth"...

I wouldn't be surprised if we get an "eleventh hour" declaration from Micheal, or Leo stating there will be a temporary moraturium on the enforced betting shop closures; with certain restrictions still in place, granted. All for the 'brownie points' they'd get from the small amount of solace the punter would get from being able to indulge in his/her hobby...

Bookies Reopening

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