Welsh Casinos can finally re-open on 29th August
Casinos in the UK were closed in March and have been one of the last businesses to be given the green light to re-open. England’s casinos re-opened their doors first on 15th August, with Scotland announcing that their casinos could re-open from 24th August. At that time, there was no news on when Welsh casinos could re-open, but now the go-ahead has been given to re-open from 29th August.
Betting and Gaming Council
The Betting and Gaming Council have been very vocal in their efforts to allow casinos in the UK to re-open and have said the decision to finally re-open Welsh casinos is ‘the right move’. This is after they previously criticised Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, after he compared and likened casinos to nightclubs when calculating the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Les Croupiers in Cardiff, one of four casinos in Wales, were keen to point out the differences between casinos and nightclubs, especially after so many venues have gone to such great lengths to ensure they are Covid secure, tweeting “Our preparations for reopening are almost complete. It would be great if @welshgovernment @markdrakeford @vaughnangething @kenskatesMS @juliemorganLAB @publichealthW could finally acknowledge the difference between a casino and a nightclub and look at our efforts…”
Re-opening preparations
Casinos throughout the UK have gone to great length to ensure the safety of both players and staff and make their venues Covid secure, with the addition of Perspex screening both at bar areas and on tables throughout, hand sanitising stations, social distancing within the venue, a thorough cleaning programme and track and trace systems in place.
BGC Chief Executive, Michael Dugher said:
“I warmly welcome this announcement by Mark Drakeford, which is the right move and a tremendous boost for the hundreds of men and women who work in Welsh casinos, as well as their customers. The Welsh Government has listened to the concerns of our members and responded to the tremendous efforts they have made to ensure they can re-open safely. It’s great news that casinos across Great Britain are now able to open their doors and make a vital contribution to the country’s economic recovery.”
