Gambling in Bexley: local rules, venues and safer play

The London Borough of Bexley does not have the casino floors and live table rooms found in central London. Its gambling offer is more local: Buzz Bingo in Bexleyheath, adult gaming machines on Broadway, betting shops across town centres, a community lottery and the memory of Crayford’s greyhound racing culture.

This guide is not a recommendation to gamble. It is a factual local overview for residents, visitors and researchers who want to understand what exists, how premises are licensed and where the risks sit. Opening hours, promotions and even shop status can change, so every card below includes a live check link where possible.

Quick Facts

How Gambling Is Regulated in Bexley

Bexley’s local gambling policy follows three licensing objectives: preventing gambling from becoming a source of crime or disorder, keeping gambling fair and open, and protecting children and vulnerable people from harm. These objectives shape how the council considers premises licences, objections, inspections, reviews and licence conditions.

The council cannot simply refuse an application because gambling is unpopular. It has to work within the Act, the evidence and the licensing objectives. Stronger local arguments tend to involve late-night noise, disorder, risk to children or vulnerable adults, unsuitable layout, poor supervision, or an operator’s failure to control the premises.

Bexley can regulate gambling premises, but it has to do so through evidence, licensing objectives and proportionate conditions rather than broad dislike of gambling.

Bexley Heritage Trust editorial note

Venue Overview

The table below keeps the local picture in one place. Detailed notes, opening information, quieter times and map links are included inside the individual cards that follow, so readers do not have to jump between separate sections.

Buzz Bingo Bexleyheath

Buzz Bingo is the most social gambling venue in Bexley. It combines bingo sessions, touchscreen tickets, slots, food, drink and promotions at 28-70 Broadway. For people who want a structured evening rather than a quick betting shop visit, this is the main local option.

Address: 28-70 Broadway, Bexleyheath, DA6 7RB Opening hours: Check the official club page before travelling. Public bingo listings usually show late openings, especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Usually busiest: Evening main sessions, Friday night, Saturday sessions and promotional nights. Quieter time to try: Weekday lunch or early afternoon sessions, arriving at least 30 minutes before play if it is your first visit. Pros: Social atmosphere, bingo sessions, slots, food and drink, new-member offers and staff who can explain the format. Drawbacks: Session prices and promotions change, evenings can be noisy, and first-time visitors may need time to understand tickets and calls.

Official club page Open map

Admiral Slots Bexleyheath

Admiral is the most visible adult gaming centre in central Bexleyheath. It sits at 135 Broadway, next to Istanbul Kitchen and close to bus routes, Asda parking and Broadway Shopping Centre. The Gambling Commission premises record for this address still shows the adult gaming centre as Quicksilver, with Talarius as licensee, which reflects the operator group behind the venue.

Address: 135 Broadway, Bexleyheath, DA6 7EZ Opening hours: The venue is marketed as a long-hours slots venue. Check the official page or Google Maps on the day because licence registers do not publish trading hours. Usually busiest: Friday and Saturday evenings, especially after nearby restaurants and pubs become busier. Quieter time to try: Tuesday to Thursday mornings or early afternoons. Pros: Central location, machine-led play, plush seating, free hot drinks noted by the operator, bus links and nearby parking. Drawbacks: No live dealers, no table-game casino floor and a late-night high street setting that will not suit everyone.

Official venue page Open map

William Hill Bexleyheath

William Hill at 58/60 Avenue Road is a traditional betting shop with racing, football, sports betting, self-service betting terminals and gaming machines. The official shop locator lists facilities such as New Vegas Machines, free Wi-Fi and Best Odds Guaranteed.

Address: 58/60 Avenue Road, Bexleyheath, DA7 4EG Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 08:30-22:00 and Sunday 08:30-21:00 on the official locator when checked. Usually busiest: Saturday football, major racing meetings, Cheltenham week, Grand National day and big boxing or darts nights. Quieter time to try: Weekday mornings or early afternoons, outside major racing cards. Pros: Familiar bookmaker layout, screens, terminals, shop staff and a clear official locator page. Drawbacks: Less social than bingo, queues can form around busy sport, and machine stakes are subject to national limits.

Official shop page Open map

Coral Betting Shops in Bexley

Coral is one of the most widespread bookmaker names in the borough. Public register entries and local branch listings point to Coral premises in Bexley, Welling, Erith, Belvedere and Blackfen. These are practical high street betting shops rather than destination venues.

Known Bexley-area addresses to check: 163 Blendon Road, Bexley DA5 1BT; 103 High Street, Welling DA16 1TY; 267-269 Bexley Road, Erith DA8 3EX; 40-42 Nuxley Road, Belvedere DA17 5JG; 9 Gloucester Parade, Blackfen Road, Sidcup DA15 8PS. Opening hours: Vary by branch and should be checked on the live shop or map listing before travel. Usually busiest: Saturday sport, lunchtime racing, Grand National day and major football fixtures. Quieter time to try: Midweek mornings or early afternoons. Pros: Several local branches, familiar betting products and convenient high street locations. Drawbacks: Not designed for long social visits, and some branches can feel cramped when sport and racing overlap.

Open Coral map search Check register

Ladbrokes Betting Shops in Bexley

Ladbrokes appears in Bexley through high street and neighbourhood betting shop premises. The Gambling Commission register lists a Ladbrokes betting shop at 147 Broadway in Bexleyheath, while other local records show a Long Lane presence and Sidcup-area branches.

Known Bexley-area addresses to check: 147 Broadway, Bexleyheath DA6 7EZ; 155/157 Long Lane, Bexleyheath DA7 5AE; 45 The Oval, Sidcup DA15 9ER. Opening hours: Check the current Ladbrokes shop page or Google Maps listing for each branch. The licence register confirms premises type, not day-to-day trading hours. Usually busiest: Saturday afternoon football, televised racing and large national sporting events. Quieter time to try: Weekdays before lunchtime or after the main racing rush. Pros: Strong racing and football focus, familiar shop systems and several local points of access. Drawbacks: Less useful for non-sport visitors, and shop experience depends heavily on the branch and time of day.

Open Ladbrokes map search Check register

Betfred Betting Shops in Bexley

Betfred’s Bexley footprint is strongest around Sidcup and Welling. The Gambling Commission register lists Betfred premises at 78 Sidcup High Street and 274 Sherwood Park Avenue, and local searches also show Welling and Crayford Road locations to check.

Known Bexley-area addresses to check: 78 Sidcup High Street, Sidcup DA14 6DS; 274 Sherwood Park Avenue, Sidcup DA15 9JN; 29 Bellegrove Road, Welling DA16 3PB; 175 Crayford Road, DA1 4HA. Opening hours: Branch-specific. Check the live listing on the day, especially for Sundays and bank holidays. Usually busiest: Saturday sport, horse racing afternoons and major televised matches. Quieter time to try: Tuesday to Thursday mornings, outside large racing festivals. Pros: Good spread across Sidcup and Welling, conventional bookmaker service and local access outside Bexleyheath. Drawbacks: Limited appeal if you do not follow sport or racing, and branch hours are less visible than dedicated destination venues.

Open Betfred map search Check register

Paddy Power in Welling, Erith and Belvedere

Paddy Power has a strong south-east London betting shop presence and appears in Bexley through branches in Welling, Erith and Belvedere. The Erith Riverside Shopping Centre branch is especially useful for shoppers already in the town centre.

Known Bexley-area addresses to check: 105 Bellegrove Road, Welling DA16 3PG; Unit 45 Riverside Shopping Centre, Erith DA8 1QY; 52-54 Nuxley Road, Belvedere DA17 5JG. Opening hours: Check branch listings before travel. Shopping centre opening patterns may differ from high street betting shops. Usually busiest: Saturday football, racing peaks and periods before major televised events. Quieter time to try: Weekday mornings or early afternoons, especially outside football season. Pros: Convenient branches in Welling and Erith, useful for sports bettors who prefer a physical shop. Drawbacks: Not a social venue, and evening atmosphere depends on the surrounding high street or shopping centre.

Open Paddy Power map search Check register

Jenningsbet Bexleyheath

Jenningsbet gives Bexleyheath an independent bookmaker presence alongside the larger national brands. Its Market Place location puts it close to the main shopping area rather than the residential edges of town.

Address: 3 Market Place, Bexleyheath, DA6 7DU Opening hours: Local listings commonly show daytime-to-evening trading, but check the live map listing before travel. Usually busiest: Racing afternoons and Saturday football. Quieter time to try: Weekday mornings. Pros: Central Bexleyheath location and a smaller bookmaker feel. Drawbacks: Less brand visibility than the national chains and limited public detail on branch facilities.

Open map Check register

Crayford Stadium: The End of a Local Betting Era

Crayford Greyhound Stadium

For decades, Crayford was the borough’s clearest link with old-style British betting culture: racing, trackside betting, evening meets and a crowd built around a live sporting event. That chapter has ended. The official track statement said the last racing day was Sunday 19 January 2025, with the track formally ceasing operations on Tuesday 21 January 2025.

Status: Closed permanently. Historic role: Greyhound racing and betting venue associated with Crayford since 1932, later rebuilt on a smaller site. Opening hours: No public gambling hours now, because the venue has closed. Why it matters: Its closure removed the borough’s most distinctive race-day gambling venue and left Bexley with a mostly high street gambling landscape.

Read closure statement Open map

The Sidcup Merkur Slots Application

Merkur Slots Sidcup Proposal

Merkur Slots is not listed here as an open Bexley venue. It is included because the 2026 application for a 24-hour adult gaming centre at the former HSBC, 83 Sidcup High Street, became one of the borough’s most visible gambling stories. Local reporting said the proposal had drawn 75 objections and no letters of support by 10 June 2026.

Address: Former HSBC, 83 Sidcup High Street, Sidcup, DA14 6DN Status: Application reported in June 2026. Check Bexley’s planning and licensing portals for the final decision before publishing an update. Proposed hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to local reporting on the planning documents. Main concerns: Late-night noise, antisocial behaviour, proximity to homes and the wider look of Sidcup High Street. Operator response: Reporting said Merkur pointed to security, acoustic door seals and a late-night customer profile based partly on night-shift workers.

Read local report Open map

The Lost £10.6 Million Lottery Ticket

One of Bexley’s strangest gambling stories did not come from a betting shop or slots venue. It came from the National Lottery. A Lotto ticket bought in Bexley for the draw on 4 October 2025 won £10.6 million, but the holder did not claim the prize within the 180-day deadline. The money then moved to National Lottery-funded good causes.

The story is worth including because it shows the other side of gambling in a local guide: even a winning ticket can become worthless if it is lost, forgotten or not checked in time. It is also a reminder not to treat local jackpot figures as proof that gambling is a sensible way to make money.

Pros and Drawbacks of Gambling in Bexley

Safer Gambling in Bexley

All adult gambling venues in Bexley are for people aged 18 and over. Gambling should be treated as paid entertainment, not income. Set a spending limit before you start, stop when that limit is reached and do not chase losses.

If gambling feels hard to control, confidential support is available. The National Gambling Helpline is 0808 8020 133 and support is available 24 hours a day. The Gambling Commission also lists free multi-operator self-exclusion schemes for betting shops, bingo venues, adult gaming centres and online gambling. Bexley Community Lottery has its own self-exclusion route for people who need to block access to that platform.

Worried about gambling?

Free support is available before gambling becomes a crisis. Speak to the National Gambling Helpline or use self-exclusion tools if you need a break from betting, bingo, slots or online gambling.

Get help from GamCare Self-exclusion schemes

Sources and Update Notes

This page uses public registers, operator pages and local reporting checked in July 2026. Footfall, exact opening hours for every branch and local machine counts are not published in one official source, so venue cards point readers to live pages and maps where the information can change quickly.

• London Borough of Bexley: betting and gambling licensing
• London Borough of Bexley: Statement of Principles Gambling Policy 2025 to 2028
• London Borough of Bexley: downloadable licensing registers
• Gambling Commission: public register of premises
• Admiral Slots Bexleyheath official venue page
• William Hill Bexleyheath official shop page
• Buzz Bingo Bexleyheath official club page
• Crayford Racing official closure statement
• The Standard: Sidcup 24-hour slots centre application
• The Guardian: Bexley £10.6m unclaimed National Lottery jackpot
• Bexley Community Lottery: playing responsibly