The outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic hardly left any country across the world unaffected. The Covid-19 crisis has had a significant impact on the countries’ economies, leaving them to deal with financial difficulties in all spheres of the economy, with many businesses being destroyed. The gambling industry in the UK makes no exception, considering the lengthy shutdown that has been imposed on land-based gambling venues across the country.
As part of the Government’s efforts to efficiently prevent the further spread of the coronavirus infection, social distancing measures were imposed, with all social venues, including land-based casinos, being forced to cease operations. The move left thousands of people locked up at their homes, looking for ways to make time pass faster, which made keen casino gamblers consider new forms of gambling, such as placing bets online.
For years, gambling has been a popular pastime among Welsh people. As part of the UK, Wales’ gambling industry is currently under the jurisdiction of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), although at the time when the first gambling regulations in the country were deployed in the 1960s, they were quite strict. The introduction of the Gambling Act of 2005, however, significantly changed the situation, as most forms of gambling were officially legalised by the piece of legislation.
Unfortunately for avid casino gamblers, land-based casinos remained shut for a few months during the coronavirus lockdown in the country. After England allowed its gambling venues to reopen, and Scotland followed suit, the Welsh Government also unveiled plans to permit local casinos to resume operation as of August 29th.
Brick-and-Mortar Casinos and Gambling Venues in Wales to Reopen on August 29th
Wales has seen an unprecedented growth of the online gambling sector after the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. On March 20th, all retail gambling establishments in Wales were shut, leaving the brick-and-mortar casino and sports betting industry dealing with the negative impact of the closures, with some businesses struggling to survive.
As mentioned above, the industry shutdown and the social distancing measures pushed many gamblers in the country to look for other forms of gambling, as land-based casinos and gambling venues were no longer an option. Being forced to stay at home, many people seized the opportunity to place bets online, with web-based casinos and other online gambling options marking a significant growth over the lockdown.
Now, after a lengthy closure, brick-and-mortar casinos in Wales will be able to open their doors again on August 29th, with the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) having already praised the local authorities for the decision. Previously, the gambling industry trade body has called for the Welsh Government to extend the business rates retail discount by including casinos, betting outlets and bingo halls in order to protect the jobs of all people who work in the sector.
For the time being, there are four casinos and more than 300 betting outlets across Wales. Previously, representatives of the gambling sector revealed that these venues are jeopardised by potential permanent closure, which would have left 2,000 people without their jobs. Unfortunately, some experts have predicted that the mere reopening of the land-based gambling venues in the country would not be enough, as many gamblers have already been attracted to online gambling.
- Author
Daniel Williams
