ChatGPT comes up with one suggestion

Telephone betting accounts still exist in Britain, although they are much less common than they once were. The Gambling Commission still specifically licenses betting conducted by telephone, so it is a perfectly normal regulated form of remote betting.

A couple of current examples:

* WilsonBet actively offers telephone betting. You can actually open the account by telephone, rather than needing a computer: call 01932 888822, or 0800 652 1555 from a UK landline. Their customer service/betting operation is open seven days a week.

* Betfair still advertises a 24/7 telephone betting service, although it is rather aimed at bigger punters: its stated minimum unit stake is £50, and it requires a Telephone Account Number.

Some of the traditional firms have abandoned it. William Hill, for example, closed its UK telephone betting operation in April 2024.

So if you’re asking on behalf of, say, an elderly person who simply wants to ring a human being, quote the horse/race and stake, and have the bet placed against an account, that service definitely still exists. WilsonBet looks particularly close to the old-fashioned service you’re probably imagining.

Posted By: Old Git, Oct 7, 11:21:22