As an American living in London, I have to say the betting shops come off as much more unsavory than the pub culture. Generally the pub culture seems to be enj

As an American living in London, I have to say the betting shops come off as much more unsavory than the pub culture. Generally the pub culture seems to be enjoyed in good fun by everyone across class and age boundaries, and yeah there is the ugly side of people passed out drunk on the pavement after 11pm or young women projectile vomiting into their friends handbags on a crowded tube platform, but given the number of people out drinking it seems like more a statistical rounding error of a few people just having a bit too much fun. The betting shops on the other hand seem disproportionately full of deadbeat layabouts night and day. Just walking down the street the front of the William Hill is the most likely place you'll see someone who appears to belong to a Dickensian London. Anyway, that's just my first impression as a puritanical yank.