Casinos in the United Kingdom and England in particular will restart operation as of August 1, British prime minister Boris Johnson.
Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Welcomes UK Reopening Move
The United Kingdom government has finally agreed to restart retail casino operations in the country. After most businesses had hoped for reopening in early July, lawmakers have deferred the date to August 1, British prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed in the morning.
The industry body, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), has called for Scotland and Wales to follow suit and vow to restart operations and coincide with the rest of the United Kingdom.
The BGC didn’t miss to praise the government’s decision for restarting the industry, especially after the industry body had been pushing for a timelier restart of casinos. In delivering the organization’s motivation as to why casinos should open, BGC chief executive Michael Dugher didn’t miss to highlight the positive economic contributions casinos had had.
According to Dugher, the latest developments were exactly what the BGC had expected. He added:
“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.”
Previously, Dugher and the BGC argued against the government’s decision to restart betting shops on June 15 and bingo halls on July 4, but opt to keep casinos shuttered for an indefinite period of time.
Dugher also lauded the efforts casinos have put in keeping up with the health and safety guidelines designed specifically for the safe operations of enclosed spaces during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“I’d like to thank DCMS Secretary of State Oliver Dowden, Minister Nigel Hiddleston, and the many cross-party MPs who supported us and worked hard to secure a reopening date,” he continued.
Thanks to this decision, some 12,000 people will be able to return to work in England, but casinos in Wales and Scotland have not set a date for the reopening of the casino industry. This depends on their national governments.
An estimated 2,000 people are employed by the casino industry in both countries and they would benefit from a restart of the sector. Meanwhile, Genting, one of the largest casino operators in the United Kingdom, which recently announced the closure of properties, has confirmed that it is laying off as 1,642 staff members, citing redundancy as the reason why.
Casinos are not the only businesses to return. They will be part of a broader government plan to restart number of venues, including leisure centers, ice-rinks, and sports venues.