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04 August 2005
Bookies Rebrands As It
Expands
A
firm of North-East bookmakers has re-branded its betting
shops after nearly doubling turnover and staff numbers in
the past two years.
County Durham company
Reuben Page launched as Pagebet yesterday and announced that
it was sponsoring a new steeplechase at Newcastle
Racecourse.
The Consett-based firm
also announced expansion plans, with an increase in its
number of shops, the launch of its online betting facility
and a move to £1.5m head offices in Belmont,
Durham.
Director Austin Carney and
managing director David Archer acquired the company in 1989
and have seen the number of betting shops increase from six
to 47 and turnover increase from £26m in 2003 to a
projected £60m this year.
"Betting has become a much
more acceptable past time and the Government's taxation
changes over the years have made betting more accessible to
the general public," said Mr Carney.
"The whole betting culture
has become more user-friendly, helped by the explosion in
football and the continued popularity of horse
racing."
Reuben Page was
established in Consett in 1918 and the majority of its
betting shops are in County Durham and Tyne and
Wear.
At least three new shops
are due to open this year, with the company investing
£150,000 into each of the premises on Skinnergate, in
Darlington, at Market Weighton, East Yorkshire, and at
Crosspool, in Sheffield.
Staff numbers have
increased from 132 to 245 and the relocation of company
headquarters by the end of the year will pave the way for
even more positions.
In May, the company signed
a contract with Optical Mark Systems (OMS) to supply sports
betting technology, which incorporates Internet and
telephone betting, across all its shops.
The move enabled it to
create an interactive betting website which will be up and
running by the end of the month, opening the doors to
customers nationwide.
Mr Carney said: "This deal
with OMS has allowed us to become a one stop shop for all
betting needs - the system really is ahead of the
game."
Reuben Page will phase in
its identity as Pagebet over the coming months. The company
will sponsor the three-mile steeplechase - the £60,000
Pagebet Rehearsal Chase - at Newcastle Racecourse in
November.
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