UK government gives go-ahead for casinos to reopen on 1 August
BGC hails government climb down as green light provides hope for reduced job losses
Land-based casinos can finally reopen in England from 1 August, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has welcomed the government U-turn as a major boost for the UK tourism and hospitality sector as it looks to recover from the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The trade body has called on administrations in Scotland and Wales to ‘show their hands’ and follow suit, ending speculation over the future of 2,000 employees working in the sector.
BGC CEO Michael Dugher paid tribute to the role of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in lobbying for a climb down, highlighting the efforts of Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston.
“After four long months of lockdown, it’s fantastic to see casinos will reopen safely for business again on 1 August,” said Dugher. “I am delighted that they can now play their part in supporting the recovery of the tourism and hospitality sector,” he added.
Many land-based casino chiefs, including Rank Group’s John O’Reilly, questioned the wisdom of keeping casinos closed while reopening other parts of the gambling sector, admitting the London-listed firm was burning through £10m in cash a month as a result.
Last month, the Rank Group CEO claimed he was “struggling to understand the rationale” of the move, with many casinos already having strict Covid-19 social distancing and health measures in place.
Addressing this, Dugher said: “BGC casino members went the extra mile to meet strict Covid guidelines some weeks ago but were left in the dark as to when they would be allowed to reopen.
“The uncertainty has been awful for the 12,000 people who work in casinos in England and we now call on Scottish and Welsh governments to follow suit and permit casinos to reopen without delay,” Dugher added.
Casinos in England contribute nearly £300m in tax, a contribution that was placed in jeopardy by the continued closures.
However, the announcement has come too late for land-based casino operator Genting, which confirmed the loss of 1,600 jobs amid the closure of three UK casino locations.