Does Britain need 24-hour slot machines? There must be better things to do at 3am

‘Perhaps we could keep the physical slot machines to office hours, or at least pub opening hours?’ Photograph: ljubaphoto/Getty Images

I was in the West Midlands early one morning this week when I got a message from an Irish friend in Abu Dhabi. It was a link to a story that had shocked him – about the proliferation of 24-hour high street gambling arcades in parts of Britain.

This friend is so into horse racing that when he starts banging on about it, I can understand hardly a word he says. In fact, I’d get more sense from the neighing of one of his horses. And obviously he’s no stranger to the business of betting. He likes a flutter. My point is that if he is shocked at the number of 24-hour high street gambling arcades, then so am I.