The Betting and Gaming Council have hit back at risk comparisons made between nightclubs and land-based casinos by Welsh minister Mark Drakeford. The BGC called the statement ‘neither true’, ‘nor fair’ and the likened ‘risk of coronavirus spreading’ unsatisfactory.
‘Casinos Are The Same Aren’t They?’
Mr Drakeford made the claims in a live Facebook session responding to questions as to when casinos can reopen in Wales. He said, “ We are down to quite a small number of places now that we have not been able to re-open in Wales, and of course we will go on thinking about them and seeing if there’s anything we can do.“But as I described nightclubs that are generally dark and intimate, well casinos are the same aren’t they? You know, they are places where people are close to one another and where the atmosphere is part of the product that is on offer.”
Safety Measures In Place
Michael Dugher, chief executive for the BGC has urged Mr Drakeford to visit a casino to see what measures have been put in place to protect both its staff and customers. These include screening around machines, social distancing measures, track and trace, hand sanitisers and masks for customers and strict cleaning regimes throughout.In a letter, Mr Dugher noted a strong disagreement with Mr Drakeford’s comments as ‘neither true, ‘nor fair’ and the uncertainty around casinos re-opening is having a huge impact on the sector in Wales.Mr Dugher said, “ Casinos are not remotely like nightclubs and have invested heavily to ensure that our venues are safe for both our colleagues and customers alike. “ Ensuring the safety of our staff and customers is paramount and the extensive work undertaken by the sector to ensure that casinos are ready to re-open safely shows this.” The four casinos currently in Wales are fully safe to start accepting customers through their doors, and hope the decision will be made soon to help in the recovery of the economy.