Betting & Gaming Council Urges UK Government To Re-Open Casinos
With betting shops re-opened in June, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is urging the UK government to allow people to return to land casinos from July 2020.
This comes after betting shops throughout the UK were allowed to re-admit gamblers in June 2020, with bingo halls given the go-ahead for a phased re-opening from July 4.
BGC’s CEO says casinos have “pulled out all the stops”
Casino operators have seen other areas of the gambling industry re-opening their doors after putting steps in place to keep gamblers and staff safe.
BGC’s CEO, Michael Dugher, is adamant its 120 members “pulled out all the stops” to safeguard both employees and punters, yet has still been given no indication by the government for when casinos can re-open.
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BGC CEO writes an open letter to the Chancellor
Dugher believes casinos have taken all the necessary steps to prepare for the return of live gaming. In an open letter to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, he asserts:
“Casinos want to get back in business and once again contributing to the economy, not costing the Exchequer money.
“To our knowledge, casinos have met all Covid safety requirements and yet they are still not permitted to open.
“We urgently ask for your help to get casinos reopened and back to contributing to the UK economy.”
Dugher argues that if casinos remain closed for much longer then it will cause “severe damage” to the gambling industry.
Keep safe if you do decide to visit a casino (when they re-open)
Coronavirus is a situation none of us has lived through. It’s an unprecedented threat to our lives and the way we live them.
We all want things to return to normal but until the virus is eradicated, or a cure/treatment is found, there will continue to be changes to the things we do.
UK casinos will re-open at some stage and their operators will take precautions to safeguard the lives of the people inside them. But you have to keep yourself safe too.
So, if you decide to visit a casino when the opportunity arises, make sure you follow all of the government’s guidelines and look after yourself.