The reopening of land-based casinos in the United Kingdom

The UK Gambling Commission recently published data showing how the temporary closure and reopening of land-based betting shops has impacted gambling behaviour in the UK. The commission announced that online gamblers spent less time and money on online casinos in July compared to the previous month. Online sports betting and poker also had a steep decline in July. This suggests that the reopening of land-based betting shops had a substantial impact on the domestic igaming industry.

Casinos and betting shops across the United Kingdom were forced to close their doors in March following the restrictions. In late March, the government announced that they would shut down restaurants, museums, nightclubs, pubs, gyms, cinemas and other places in which large groups of people gather. The closure of land-based casinos and betting shops had a major impact on the casino sector. Genting, which operates 42 land-based casinos across the UK, is now considering closing three of its outlets in the country. The Guardian reported in July that more than 1,600 UK jobs were at risk at the same company.

Genting decided to cease all live poker activity in June. In a statement sent to the employees, the president and chief operating officer at Genting UK, Paul Willock, said: “The pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges. This has had a huge financial impact on our business and caused significant uncertainty for the foreseeable future. I am therefore forced to contemplate some very difficult options to ensure survival.”.

As the United Kingdom is facing new restrictions in response to the crisis, it is unclear whether land-based betting shops and casinos will be able to remain open. On October 12th, Boris Johnson announced three-tier restrictions, listed as medium (tier 1), high (tier 2), and very high (tier 3). Areas in the first tier will continue adhering to the current restrictions, which includes hospitality venues closing at 10pm. Areas in the third tier will be ordered to close all casinos, pubs and bars unless they also operate as restaurants.

The new report from the UK Gambling Commission shows that the easing of the lockdown has caused a month on month decline in the amount spent on online gambling. According to the report, the number of online slots sessions lasting longer than an hour decreased by 2% in July. Online poker experienced a 23% decline, and revenue from online casino games went down by 4% in the same month.

If betting shops and casinos are to remain closed for the foreseeable future, more players will choose to play at online casinos. One of the main benefits of playing at an online casino is that players can enjoy the games from the comfort of their homes. There are also more games and casinos to choose from online, and players can read an online casino review in order to find more information about the casinos.

Casinos are considered high-risk zones, as many people are gathered in one location at the same time. Furthermore, the handling of money, chips and cards can contribute to an unsafe environment during the crisis. UK casinos recently offered to stop selling alcohol in their venues in order to avoid closures, and only time will tell whether the new restrictions will allow all casinos to reopen before more of them are forced to close their doors for good.