Totesport

I may be slightly biased — having two friends who worked in tote bookmakers for a proportionally large section of their lives. Despite this, when I am dragged in here from time to time — by the boy or a close friend who’s busy trying to forget her boy by glaring at the bookie’s screens — I very much appreciate the atmosphere.
It has, as Gareth aptly puts it some of the old school anti-​glamour. It’s slightly dingy, and perhaps slightly dirty. It feels small and secretive possibly due to the tiny, inoffensive shop front which many a person walks past unawares. Anyhoo, this is one of my favourite dirty little secrets — it’s the place I love to spend a ‘sicky’ hiding away from family, the majority of friends and the reality of the outside world.
In here, it feels that anything, everything and nothing are possible. The troubles of outside, don’t exist at least for an hour or two and while in here, you think you can make a quick buck to head off to Curlers with. I’m a simple girl, but happy.

I am never too excited about a trip to the bookies: I quite enjoying chewing the little pen and studying the form, then not making abet while my companion goes for it, looses and gets irritated with me saying that I won because the horse I would have bet on has come last. If I must be dragged in, I prefer Tote, because it is old fashioned: back in the days when gambling wasn’t allowed to have glass shop fronts, and the atmosphere was underground… that’s when I could have some vicarious thrills.
In the meantime, if you must gamble, try here: it has the usual features (races on the screen, etc), but captures a little of the old time anti-​glamour.