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Investigates the three‐year trainer and team development initiative at Coral, the bookmaker, intended to support the company′s launch of a new brand and image. Concludes that training of people is fundamental to efficiency and progress, with responsibility for this being with both the line manager and the members of staff. Gives a list of the corporate benefits.

Provides a case study of the changing service experience in the UK′s betting shops. Outlines the basic elements in the service experience and examines the changes in both the facilities and quality of betting shop environments and in the interpersonal components of the service encounter.

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.

The recent advent of betting exchanges, which allow customers to bet against each other, rather than against the bookmaker or betting shop chain, may herald a change in the nature of customer relationships within the sports betting market. This article outlines the size and current characteristics of the sports betting market, describes the emergence and operation of betting exchanges and discusses the possible impact that these exchanges may have on traditional sports betting transactions and markets.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a preliminary case study exploration of the corporate social responsibility issues being addressed and reported by a number of the UK's major gambling operators.

The paper begins with a short discussion of the characteristics and origins of CSR and this is followed by a brief outline of the structure of the gambling industry within the UK. The paper draws its empirical material from the CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by a number of the major gambling operators and by a small number of organisations concerned with the regulation and social impact of gambling.

The findings reveal that there are substantial variations in the nature and the extent of reporting. Four companies produced CSR reports while others produced more limited information confined largely to responsible gambling. More specifically, the paper focuses upon four sets of CSR issues namely those relating to the marketplace; the workplace; the environment; and the community and then provides some reflections on these issues.

CSR within the UK's gambling industry has received relatively little attention from academics but the paper suggests a number of fertile grounds for future enquiry and research. The paper offers a preliminary exploration of CSR issues as reported on the world wide web and more in depth work will be needed before more definitive conclusions can be drawn.

The paper provides an accessible review of the CSR issues and agendas being reported by some of the UK's major gambling operators and as such it will interest academics and practitioners working on and in the gambling industry and those professionals who work with the industry.

This article provides market intelligence, by way of a narrative case study, relating to online retailing in an unusual setting. While the transaction between business and customers is generally seen as very much the dominant element in such retailing, customer‐to‐customer interactions are generating important e‐commerce niches. The case study presents an example, in the shape of “betting exchanges” in the UK, which allow customers to bet against each other rather than against the traditional betting shop. It briefly discusses some of the special challenges facing online retailers in general, outlines the size, structure and characteristics of the betting market, describes the emergence and operation of the betting exchanges, assesses their possible impacts on betting shops, and speculates about future developments.

The concept of servicescape and its effect on consumer behaviour has been studied extensively in numerous areas of retailing. However, the role of servicescape in non‐traditional service settings has received comparatively little attention. The aim of this paper is to fill in some of this research gap by testing the effects of servicescape (ambience, layout and functionality) on consumer behaviour within UK betting shops, as part of the wider UK gambling industry.

In order to achieve this objective an exploratory research methodology was chosen. Firstly, three betting shops in the same metropolitan area were chosen as the base for interviews with managers and structured observations. This was complemented by fifty semi‐structured customer interviews from the same three betting shops. The use of these different methods allowed triangulation and validation of the results.

The key finding of this paper are that customers in betting shops appear to be unaffected by some of the elements of the servicescape. However, this research has found that signs, symbols and artefacts were regarded as critically important by consumers.

Further, larger scale research is needed on the effects of servicescape in environments where consumption behaviour could be considered compulsive. This could includes, e.g. betting shops, arcades, casinos, bingo halls and National Lottery “shops.” Furthermore, this paper could also be used as the basis for further research on the e‐servicescape of the online gambling industry.

Some servicescape elements do not appear to affect betting shop customers greatly, but staff knowledge is important. Therefore, resources should be spent on improving staff knowledge rather than on other elements of the servicescape.

No prior empirical research has been found in this area.

This article explores the brewers links with the hotel, consumer catering and leisure markets. It identifies that whilst this trend was established in the 1960's, it has accelerated after the publication of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report into the brewing industry. Whilst, some companies have continued to be both a brewer and retailer — others have split that role. Focus is placed on four companies that have strong links with the hotel, consumer catering and leisure markets. In these cases turnover from the company's brewing division is less than 50% of the total.