BOOKMAKERS William Hill has announced plans to close around 700 stores across the country.
The bookies revealed the move followed the Goverment's decision to reduce the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting to £2 in April.
The company confirmed that around 4,500 jobs are at risk.
A spokesman from William Hill said: "This follows the Government's decision to reduce the maximum stake on B2 gaming products to £2 on 1 April 2019.
"Since then the company has seen a significant fall in gaming machine revenues, in line with the guidance given when the Government's decision was announced in May 2018."
It plans to begin shutting shops by the end of the year but has not yet announced which stores will close.
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