Flashback: William Hill

Getting different things done in a short space of time is a skill that I learned after working for William Hill. I started working there at 18 and stayed for several months til it was time to leave for university. A very difficult environment to work in, especially when you are female. I threw people off the premises, struggled with a sexual harassment problem with a customer, a guy tried to get me to leave the shop to go to a party with him for 'a good time' (he was already drugged up). I've been threatened to give all the money we had away, travelled from one branch to another carrying thousands in cash on my person.

I could handle it all until one regular customer, around my age at the time, would cry his heart out if he lost...which was all the time. He would be wailing away at the machines and to the point of other customers feeling uncomfortable. I had to calm him down and suggest perhaps banning himself from the betting shops. I can't remember how that panned out, but I remember trying not to cry behind the till. So horrible seeing a man cry. It wasn't long before I wanted to get out of there, I didn't want to help that industry rob people of their savings by toying with their gambling addictions. Gambling is a dark, dark thing.

People now would think 'Why on earth did you work there?!', especially as naturally anxious as I am. Beggars can't be choosers.

 

What is your opinion on gambling??