Viewpoint: back street to side street to high street to e‐street: sporting betting on the Internet Available to Purchase

Gambling is big business in the UK with an annual turnover of some £25 billion and for the past 40 years betting shops have been the most prominent and visible element within this market. This paper outlines the changes in the general locational pattern and the service environment of betting shops as a prelude to a description of the origins, characteristics and growth of sporting betting operations on the Internet. The paper then discusses some of the issues surrounding sporting betting on the Internet focusing particularly on the challenges it is seen to pose to traditional betting shop businesses.