Two women of Asian origin stand chatting outside a branch of the betting business, Ladbrokes in south London. Seen from a high perspective - from the top deck of a London bus - we look down on the people as they stop to talk outside of this betting outlet. Posters on the wall advertise the latest deals for playing machine games for prizes, hoping to lure the addictive into spending more on gambling. Ladbrokes plc is a British based gaming company founded by Messrs Schwind and Pendleton in 1886 as commission agents for horses trained at Ladbroke Hall in Worcestershire. The name Ladbrokes was adopted in 1902 when one Arthur Bendir joined the partnership and operations were moved to London. It is today listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250 Index, having been relegated from the FTSE 100 Index in June 2006.