Yet another UK gambling company is forced to admit defeat in an industry that
is growing more difficult to survive in by the day.
Scotscoup, a popular bookkeeping company, has announced that it will
be closing three of its branches in the United Kingdom, citing several reasons
for this drastic decision.
The company's managers said that the Fraserburgh, Fort William and Peterhead
branches were forced to close because of the UK government's insistence on
charging new licensing fees on gaming machines and the increase of minimum wage.
In addition, an ongoing battle with the satellite TV company, TVTurf
regarding the supply of pictures to betting shops in the United Kingdom, has
cost UK bookies an approximate 50 million GBP. Scotscoup says that the growing
costs to TV Turf - currently standing at 6,000 GBP - are simply too much for the
firm to bear.
"These additional costs much be borne from the bottom line of any profit or
loss," said the manager for Scotscoup, John Russell. "They cannot be passed on
to our customers."
"All this means," continued Russell, "is that before opening our doors to
trade, additional profit in the region of 20,000 GBP per year must be achieved
just to compare year on year."
The government is currently charging UK bookies a new license fee of just
over 2,000 GBP per gaming machine, drastically cutting any profits made on these
games.
"There used to be an annoying saying, 'You never see a poor bookie', said a
frustrated Russell. "Well, there are 10 employees on the unemployment register
today who will not thank you to hear that."
