British gambling giant William Hill is facing heavy criticism for offering food in its outlets, accused of attempting to draw more gamblers through its doors. The test run is only taking place in five shops across the UK but has already drawn the ire of anti-gambling campaigners.
The story made The Guardian , who reported that signs were installed for the “WH Cafe”, along with promotions for meals deals and such.
“The promotion included a special offer for a sausage and egg muffin at £2, less than the equivalent menu option at McDonald’s, while the Big Al’s Chicken Burger is £2.50, again cheaper than a McChicken Sandwich.”
Snacks and free hot drinks have been seen in the past for regular customers, but campaigners felt strongly about this new strategy which they said is clearly a loss leader designed to get people inside and gambling.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, a recovering gambling addict and a former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, said: “When the cheapest sausage and egg muffin on the high street is in William Hill, you start to wonder whether the food is there as a loss leader, in an attempt to generate new customers.”
Labour MP Carolyn Harris followed up with: “It looks like a cynical plot to keep customers in the bookies,” she said. “Yet another tactic of an industry hell bent on squeezing every pound they can out of customers.”
William Hill countered by saying the change was purely aimed at following through with what customers had asked for.
“We are currently trialling WH Cafes in five of our 1,408 shops in the UK, and although early feedback from our customers is positive, there are no plans for an estate-wide rollout. The five shops are licensed to provide betting services and are registered with the relevant authorities to sell food and non-alcoholic beverages. The WH Cafe concept was born out of customer suggestions, and it is aimed at improving our customer experience and not at increasing the amount of time they spend in our shops.” Crown Melbourne Dodges a Bullet
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