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He's not a tipster, a trader or a tout — he's a runner, and there are more of them on British high streets than you'd think. We spent a day with one to understand why bookies put up with it, and what happens when a big win lands.
We banned the smartphone, dug out a paper coupon and spent seven days placing bets the 1995 way — phone calls, quoted selections and a cheque in the post. Here's how the old-school experience stacked up against the app in our pocket, and what it taught us about how we actually punt now.
Your in-play bet looked home and hosed — then the app settled it as a loser. We follow three punters through a real dispute with a major UK bookie, from first complaint to the 'goodwill gesture' free bet, and map out exactly how to fight a settlement you reckon is wrong.
Britain's betting shops are closing at a rate nobody in the industry wants to talk about. We spoke to the people who used to run them, crunched the numbers, and asked what happens to the punters left behind.
We spent one entire Saturday of Premier League action betting in-play only, notebook in hand, tracking every odds lurch, price freeze and cash out nudge. What we found was an experience engineered to keep your thumb hovering over the bet button — and your kettle unbrewed.
We took my 78-year-old grandad, a lifetime of dog track punting, and gave him a smartphone and a betting app for the first time. What followed was part comedy, part masterclass in how far the industry has moved — and a surprising beginner's guide all rolled into one.
We dragged our phones around six boozers across a full Premier League weekend to find out which betting apps actually cope when the WiFi's ropey and the game's on the line. Load times, in-play placement, streams and cash out buttons — all scored, all slightly sticky.