William Hill asks for rent cuts to offset loss in fixed-odds income

Up to 900 shops could close if rents are not slashed now, bookmaker tells landlords

William Hill has asked its landlords to reduce its rents by 50% to help it offset the cost of revenue lost due to imminent curbs on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs).

After a long and bitter political battle over FOBTs, which provide about half of bookmakers’ high-street revenues, the maximum bet on the machines will be reduced from £100 to £2, starting on 1 April.

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