England’s casinos prepared for 4 July reopening
Land-based operators including Rank Group implement Covid-19 safety measures ahead of return to business
England’s casinos will be ready to reopen their doors from 4 July in accordance with strict coronavirus mitigation standards, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has confirmed.
Every casino in the country has been closed since late March due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
As part of the UK government’s roadmap out of lockdown, from 4 July hospitality and leisure facilities – such as casinos – may be able to open to the general public once again.
Once casinos are back in business, customers and staff must adhere to several hygiene and social distancing measures. Hand sanitisers will be available for customers when entering the casino, as well as when joining and leaving a gaming table.
Two-metre distanced queues will be in place, while only one person may enter the casino at a time, with table capacity and plexiglass also being deployed to reduce the risk of infection to both customers and staff.
Speaking to EGR Intel, Rank Group director of public affairs David Williams revealed the industry is ready and waiting for the green light from the government.
Williams said: “We’ve worked extremely hard in recent weeks with our industry peers to explore the art of the possible when it comes to safe reopening of our venues.
“We’ve taken learnings from casinos around the world and are confident that the measures we’ll be rolling out will not only fulfil what’s expected of us by government, but will give our colleagues and customers the reassurances and safety they expect and deserve,” he concluded.
BGC CEO Michael Dugher insisted nothing was more important than the safety of staff and customers as he implored the government to continue to provide financial support to those affected across the gambling sector.
Dugher said: “It is welcome that they are in line to reopen again from 4 July, but the message to government now is that they are ready, willing and able to open safely.
“We know that the casino sector faces some very tough times ahead and the threat posed by Covid-19 to many businesses won’t go away quickly. That’s why we would also urge the government to continue to be flexible in their approach to the hospitality and leisure industry as its furlough scheme is wound down,” he added.