BGC seeks the re-emergence of Scottish and Welsh casinos as England venues prepare to reopen

The UK Prime Minister has announced that England casinos can re-open on August 1, after over four months in shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Betting and Gaming Council is happy with the approval to reopen, as it will be a big boost to both the tourism and hospitality industries. However, the trade body is also calling for the Scottish and Welsh casinos to reopen, as 2,000 employees are currently affected by what seems to be a never-ending shutdown.

Reopening Process:

The England casinos provide employment to over 12,000 individuals. They provide hundreds of millions in taxes and contribute to the tourism economy. So, it makes sense the government would be interested in getting these venues up and running.

The BGC has been working to get casinos back in action, with betting shops and bingo halls already reopened. The betting and gaming industry in the UK has more than 70,000 employees and contributes a whopping £3 billion+ to the Treasury every year.

To reopen, the gaming venues must meet strict Covid-19 guidelines to ensure both player and employee safety. Michael Dugher, the Chief Executive of the BGC commented on the reopening process by stating:

“After four long months of lockdown, it’s fantastic to see casinos will reopen safely for business again on 1 August. I am delighted that they can now play their part in supporting the recovery of the tourism and hospitality sector.”

Dugher stated further that the casinos employ thousands of people and they were one of the few businesses in the leisure and hospitality businesses that were still closed. The uncertainty is not good for employees and now the BGC wants to see the same action in Scotland and Wales.

According to Dugher, the devolved administrations owe it to the employees that work in these areas to end the questions of when the venues will reopen and help them get back to work.