This week’s casino headlines deliver a mix of good news and bad news. We’ll start with the bad news as William Hill is set to make some big layoffs in the United Kingdom.
Massive Layoffs Expected At William Hill Following Closure Of 700 Betting Shops
It’s taken a long time for online gaming to overtake the land-based version, but this week, we saw a big indication of the current times.
Massive layoffs are expected in the United Kingdom following William Hill’s decision to close 700 betting shops across the country. The move comes after the UK government, under Theresa May, decided to reduce the spread of Fixed Odds Betting terminals. As a result of the book closures, more than 4,500 jobs are expected to be lost in total. The betting terminals, which critics have dubbed the “crack cocaine” of gambling, had led to a boom in the number of shops on British high streets. However, with an original maximum bet of 100 euros per play, there were concerns that players were left far too vulnerable to losing large amounts of money when using the terminals.
The other issue is that online sports betting is much more readily available and accessible. Going to a land-based shop to place bets felt a bit archaic.
The betting shop workers’ union Community called the decision by William Hill “devastating news” for the company’s employees. Meanwhile, the critics that campaigned in favour of book closures welcomed the news.
Two-Time Casino Jackpot Winner’s Luck Turns After Getting Robbed
A Milwaukee man that celebrated back-to-back jackpots at a local casino saw his luck turn on a dime when he was robbed at his home. Christopher Czarnecki, who won $12,000 playing slot machines at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino on June 3rd and then won an additional $13,000 on June 5th, was robbed at gunpoint.
According to Czarnecki, the thieves broke in through a back door in ski masks and then forced him to open the safe before they restrained him, his girlfriend and his 77-year-old mother with zip ties.
Milwaukee police are still investigating the theft. For his part, Czarnecki admitted that if he ever won that kind of cash again, he wouldn’t store it in his home. At the same time, one has to wonder who he told about his big wins. Police believe this was clearly a targeted crime where the thieves knew exactly who they were going after and what they were going to find. They’re going to have to work backwards and think about who he contacted or bragged to about his big wins, or if any family members mentioned it to anyone. This was not just a random job.
25-Cent Slot Machine Pays Out $221K Prize At Las Vegas Casino
There have been a number of mega wins in Las Vegas this year with mini bets, and that trend continued this past week. The latest is a player who won $221,000 with just a quarter.
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, a customer was playing a 25-cent slot machine at the Fremont Casino when he ended up with the six-figure payday. The casino winner, who chose to remain anonymous, was playing the popular Wheel of Fortune slot machine.