Scottish Protection Campaign to Fight Bookmaking Crime

Nobody ever said that being a bookmaker was simple. Believe it or not, this can be a very dangerous industry – especially if you work in the West of Scotland. Recently, there have been robberies at multiple bookmakers in the areas. According to Strathclyde Police, robberies at these locations increased in 2011.
What is the solution to this issue? In 2008, a campaign was put into place that greatly reduced the number of crimes. For this reason, many are calling for another Scottish Protection Campaign.
Scotland is not the only country that has dealt with these issues. Hopefully, they will follow in the footsteps of others that have successfully lowered crime. For example, the Safe Bet Alliance in London was successful in decreasing the number of offences by taking measures including: increased staff, on-site security, and less available cash.
In Scotland, it appears that a similar campaign is needed.
Some betting shops disagree with the statistics released by police. William Hill, for example, says that they have not seen an increase in crime. A company official told the BBC:
 “We haven’t seen any increase. We launched a series of initiatives in 2010 after an overview of our security and it seems that they have had a positive impact because we succeeded in bucking the trend in Scotland.”
What This Means for Affiliates
With crime on the rise, affiliates can take advantage by pushing online casinos and sports book services. Rather than risk their safety by placing wagers in person, more and more people are going online to accomplish the same feat. Why not play up this angle as you attempt to attract visitors and increase conversions? By showing how much safer it is to bet online, you can capture some of the market that previously preferred to bet in person.
Keep a close eye on the Scottish Protection Campaign, including the reaction of both bookmakers and the public. You may find this to be the perfect opportunity to break into the Scottish market.
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