The boss of one of the largest casino and bingo operators in the UK – Grosvenor Casinos and Mecca Bingo – Jonathon Swaine – has criticised the country’s Government for what he called “senseless” closures of gambling venues in Tier 3 regions. Mr Swaine explained that the decision for the closures was extremely unfair and described it as a “targeted attack” to the gambling industry that had no justification at all.
The Rank Group’s managing director shared his disappointment with the stricter rules that will be imposed by the Government for Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire just like they did for Lancashire and Liverpool City Region. For the time being, the Merseyside bingo halls of the company are allowed to remain open but The Rank Group will have to cease operations at four more Mecca Bingo sites in Greater Manchester as of today – the ones in Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham and Sale.
The company is still waiting for more clarity as to whether it will be permitted to keep its three Mecca Bingo sites in South Yorkshire – the ones in Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield – operational.
When it comes to its Grosvenor Casinos business, The Rank Group has already had its Blackpool and Liverpool casinos shut. Furthermore, it was forced to close another casino venue in Edinburgh and two more in Glasgow. A further six casinos of the brand were set to close in Greater Manchester – two situated in the city center and four more situated in Bolton, Didsbury, Salford and Stockport.
Swansea- and Cardiff-based casino venues of the brand will cease operation later today, and the one in Sheffield will probably cease operation on October 24th.
Retail Gambling Venues in Tier 3 Regions Being Closed “On a Whim”
According to the casino and bingo executive, the restrictions, which are also set to apply to bars and pubs not serving food, will have a serious negative impact on the economy and society. He shared that at first, he and other industry representatives had thought that the decisions for the closures had been arbitrary but he now thinks the casino industry is becoming subject to what he called a needless and aggressive attack by people who do not realise that gambling venues are safe for customers.
Mr Swaine explained that, in his opinion, the decision-makers seem to be aimed at hurting the land-based gambling and betting sector without being fair.
The senior executive at one of the biggest casino and bingo operators in the UK has now openly accused the Government of being prejudiced and making a moral judgement on the gambling sector. He further noted that the move to shutting retail gambling venues down would put the entire business, along with 7,200 jobs in the sector at risk.
The operator of Mecca Bingo halls and the Grosvenor Casinos brand has claimed that the recently-announced closures of land-based gambling businesses in the Tier 3 areas across the UK have not been related to the coronavirus pandemic but has been more of a targetted attack on the industry.
The Rank Group’s executive explained that the company’s brands are operating at the highest possible safety standards associated with the Covid-19 crisis. Apart from that, he reminded that the company had offered to close casino-based bars in return for permission for the gambling venues to remain operational but they were still being forced to shut the venues.
According to the management of The Rank Group, it was not possible for the company to make any plans for the future, considering the fact that its venues are being closed without the actual need of doing so. John O’Reilly, who has been in charge of the gambling company since 2018, said that the decision for the closures made no sense at all and warned that thousands of jobs in the sector are being put at risk.
- Author
Olivia Cole
