Ladbrokes: 47% of jobs at risk

The giant Ladbrokes, an emblematic figure in the sector for decades, could close all its physical branches in Belgium, marking the end of a historic model. It’s a decision justified by financial losses and the rise of digital technology, but one that is plunging dozens of employees into uncertainty and arousing the anger of trade unions. 

An earthquake in the world of sports betting

The announcement came like a bolt from the blue. Ladbrokes, the historic sports betting giant, plans to close all its physical branches in Belgium. It’s a decision that will shake up a sector that has already been weakened by the pandemic and the rise of digital technology.

Last Thursday, the CGSLB, CSC and FGTB trade unions confirmed that a Renault procedure had been opened involving 76 employees, or almost 47% of Ladbrokes Belgium’s workforce. The news was greeted with shock and anger by the joint trade union front.

‘At this stage, no concrete information has been provided on the redundancy criteria, the alternatives envisaged or the guarantees of redeployment,’ deplored the union representatives.

Ladbrokes, a subsidiary of the Entain group, justifies this restructuring by accumulated losses of €24.2 million over five years and a collapse in the in-store betting market, a phenomenon amplified by COVID-19 and the explosion of online gambling platforms.

The decline of physical agencies

Just a few years ago, the red and white Ladbrokes storefronts were part of the Belgian urban landscape. At its peak, the company had 310 branches throughout the country. Today, only 190 remain, and their future is more than uncertain.

This decline is not an isolated case. Since the health crisis, most players in the sports betting industry have transferred their activities to digital betting, which is less costly and more profitable. Gamblers, once confined to the comfort of their mobile phones, have deserted the counters.

Online betting now accounts for the vast majority of Ladbrokes’ turnover. In Belgium, the company operates several web platforms dedicated to sports betting, poker and casino.

Many observers are concerned about silent deregulation. Fewer points of sale means less control in a country where the authorities are already struggling to regulate online gambling.

Heavy losses, but a digital future

Financially, Ladbrokes is in a delicate situation. Losses of €24.2 million over five years are weighing heavily on the Belgian subsidiary’s accounts.

The company justifies its decisions by a ‘structural decline in the physical market’ and the ‘need to adapt its costs to the economic reality’. According to internal sources, Ladbrokes is planning to reinvest heavily in its digital platforms in order to strengthen its position in the face of competition from Betfirst, Unibet and Bwin.

This change, although strategic, marks a break with more than a century of history. Founded in 1886, the British company is one of the oldest sports betting players in the world. In Belgium, it had established itself as a trusted, local brand.

A predicted human catastrophe

Behind the figures, lives are being turned upside down. Most of the employees affected by the Renault procedure have worked for the company for many years, some of them for more than twenty years.

The unions are denouncing a total lack of social strategy: no retraining plan, no training, no clear vision for the future of the workforce.

Beyond the social drama, the Ladbrokes case embodies the radical transformation of the gambling economy. Digitalisation, once presented as an opportunity, is now accompanied by an erosion of local employment and a loss of community ties.

What happens next?

What will happen to the 190 branches still open? Management has not communicated a precise timetable, but the unions fear a gradual closure from 2026.For loyal customers, this is the end of the story. For the employees, a battle is beginning. The Renault procedure promises to be long and stormy, with negotiations still to come on compensation, redeployment and psychological support.