BETTING shops will be able to open on a Sunday from next year.

Regulations limiting their operating hours were dropped when the Island’s Gambling Law was updated last week.

Many are expected to apply for parish permission to open on Sundays and the Constable of St Helier plans a public meeting to test public opinion.

The situation has arisen because bookmakers can now take advantage of the combined effect of the new Gambling Law and the recently introduced relaxed Sunday trading laws to apply for Sunday trading permits.

Each betting shop owner will, like every other business below a certain size, have to apply to their relevant parish Constable for permission to open.