Bookie takes battering

A CRACKDOWN on High Street gambling machines saw William Hill swing into a loss of more than £720m.

The bookie warned the changes – which dramatically reduced maximum bets – mean it will have to shut up to 900 shops.

The turmoil saw it plunge to a £722m loss for 2018, compared to a £147m profit the previous year.

Laws have lowered the cap on gambling machine bets from £100 to £2.

But the bookmaker is now pinning its hopes on an expansion online and in the United States, where regulation of sports betting has softened.