bdj

In a forthcoming day-trip to London I was hoping to make a quick futures wager at Ladbrokes but am curious as to the process.

Their website deals almost exclusively with online betting, thus I am wondering if placing the bet in a shop is as simple as it is in Vegas...by going in, making the wager and hopefully mail the winning ticket back for a pay-off.

Can anyone confirm or elaborate on the process?

Thanks in advance...bdj.

audere_est_facere

It's a piece of cake. Go in the shop (not just Ladbrokes - there are lots of similar firms and they all opperate in the same way).

Take a betting slip (ie a piece of paper) and write your bet on it eg "3.40 Newmarket, Lucky Jim £5 win" and hand it and the stake to the counter clerk.

If you're luck you can pick up your winnings straight away in cash.

If yopu want to bet on football or other specialist events eg the Rugby World Cup there will be pre-printed betting sheets, and you just tick the box you want.

If you have any queries the counter staff will help you - they want your money!

flanneruk

Farce:

That wasn't his question. As I reads it, it's:

- can you do futures betting over the counter (as in the state of the FTSE 500 next week)? To which the answer where I live is "What's a future?"

- can they "mail" (he means post) him the winnings? bdj writes Yank and therefore probably lives on the wrog side of the Atlantic. As I understand it, posting betting winnings to an American address means an instant extradition order for all Ladbrokes employees who ever even saw the envelope (as well as all employees of Greenwich Council who ever gave bdj advice), immediate deportation, incarceration in an American jail for the rest of all your lives and no recourse to a court anywhere.

And, since the extradition treaty's entirely one-sided, bdj can't be extradited back here for being an agent provocateur.

bdj:

You've been rumbled. We know you're narking for the Feds.

bdj

Very good...how about collecting a futures wager (ex. 2008 Ryder Cup) via mail from the U.S.?

Thanks for the reply...bdj

audere_est_facere

Do you want to bet on the futures market or place a bet on a future sporting event?

If you want to bet on the financial markets you need a specialist spread betting firm like City Index - but they won't deal with Americans (I am SO gald we got rid of our puritans!)

If you want to bet on a forthcoming sporting event then Labrokes etc will take your money - but they won't remit any winnings to the USA for the reasons that Flanneur mentions.

You will need someone to pick up your winnings for you.

Can't you just use a Vegas bookie?

bdj

The wager was to be a novelty souvineer with intended potential. Your clarification is much obliged and the foundation for "plan b".

bdj