BBC roll the dice with Coral gambling series

BBC has commissioned a three-part documentary series focusing on the gambling world.

The Bookies will take viewers behind the scenes at Coral, one of the UK's largest bookmakers with 1,800 shops.

BBC head of documentaries Emma Willis said: “Betting shops are a key part of the high street and an unwavering part of modern British life. The Bookies will take a compelling look at how the industry works, the everyday realities of life on the betting floor and why we’re betting more as a nation.”

The series will interview some of Britain's eight million gamblers, talking to high rollers as well as minimum-stake punters, and examining the public's betting habits for national events like the World Cup, Britain's Got Talent or the Grand National.

It will also examine how the industry is dealing with legislative restrictions and the bad press generated by FOBTs and gambling addiction stories.

The series will be made by The Apprentice producers Boundless.

"Betting is something that millions of British people take part in, yet we know very little about the world and how it operates. The series will engage with the excitement, characters and issues from this major industry,” said Boundless managing director Patrick Holland.