The Covid curfew could provide a boost for online casinos
The permanent effects of such a disruptive and widespread disease are yet to be seen but the present consequences to many industries and the broader economy are making themselves felt already.
The recent surge of Coronavirus cases in Britain has prompted UK authorities to announce further restrictions on residents and businesses, including a regulation that institutes a 10pm curfew on all venues. This has left business owners on the high street reeling from the foreseeable financial consequences of these new measures.
Casino jobs at risk
One of the most vocal communities thus far has been the industry standards body overseeing casinos and gambling in the UK, the Betting and Gaming Council, who has called the measures “drastic” and warned that the new laws put thousands of the 14,0000 casino industry jobs at risk, without a significant reduction of the spread of Covid-19.
One gambling-based company in the UK, The Rank Group, has spoken out about their concerns, with their CEO John O’Reilly, having stated that “A blanket 10pm curfew is a crippling blow to the casino industry.”
The Rank Group’s main argument hinged on the fact that people do not go to casinos to gather in large groups. While it may seem that any establishment serving alcohol on its premises might be prone to a party-like atmosphere with crowds, when it comes to casinos, this is simply not the case.
O’Reilly went on to say that with an average age of 48 and an average food and beverage spend of £4.20 per person, the casino clientele is not going to carouse but rather to play casino games. With this and a strong contention that casinos are some of the safest and most Covid-compliant venues on the high street, it may be hard to argue against the industry’s proposed compromises.
Casinos and Covid-compliance
The chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, Michael Dugher, said: “Boris Johnson may well have signaled the death knell for the casino industry by including them in the list of venues which will be forced to close their doors at 10 pm.”
He went on to say that since the PM was wrong to ignore advice from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which argued that casinos should be exempt from this new restriction, as they do 70 per cent of their trade after 10pm.
In an effort to save casinos and the workers they employ, industry leaders have been calling on the government to collaborate with them in order to both maintain safety precautions for the pandemic, as well as to ease restrictions on casinos themselves.
A simple call for collaboration, however, was not their only card to play. The casino sector brings in over £300 million in gaming duties to the Exchequer every year, making casinos’ tax contributions a significant ‘gambling chip‘ when it came to discussing the new curfew laws and pushing to broaden the terms of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in the wake of these new measures.
With a wider scope, the government funding scheme would actually help the casino industry, as well as the already hard-hit hospitality industry.
Online casinos may get a boost
There is no question that the UK’s economy will be deeply affected by these precautions, perhaps for years to come. The downside for brick-and-mortar business, however, might be an upside for the online marketplace, and for online casinos in particular.
Humans are adaptable creatures. For gambling enthusiasts and those looking to make a wager, the alternatives have made themselves available on the internet. The proliferation of online casinos, enticing bonuses like those found at NoDeposit365, and the convenience of playing at home have made gambling online a more attractive option while many are stuck inside or social distancing.
Adapting to the times
‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’ seems to be the phrase most likely to come from government officials during this most recent Covid spike. That may be the case, but it’s also true that the stricter measures are bound to exact a heavy toll in economic losses, job redundancies, and financial ruin for many.
The rules are different in every region of the UK, making following the ever-changing laws and restrictions confusing for residents and businesses alike. With many, including the Prime Minister, predicting these new regulations may need to stay in place for the next six months, the situation for casinos is looking quite precarious indeed.
Hopefully, there will be aid and recourse for casinos and the hospitality industry in general in order to keep their employees’ jobs from being lost in these strange and uncertain times.