All non-essential shops, leisure facilities, entertainment venues, and personal care facilities in England will be required to temporarily close their doors until at least 3 December, as part of the lockdown measures imposed by the government. This includes the closure of casinos, betting shops, gaming arcades, and bingo halls.
The lockdown, which began on 23 March and could be extended beyond 3 December, is a response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, the government had planned to rely on a regional approach to address areas with high infection rates. However, it has now implemented a nationwide lockdown.
Prior to the current lockdown, betting shops in England reopened on 15 June, followed by bingo halls on 4 July, and finally casinos in mid-August. While Wales has already introduced a short ‘firebreak’ lockdown until 9 November, Scotland is yet to announce a second nationwide lockdown but has implemented a five-level system, which has led to the closure of gambling venues in high-risk areas. In Northern Ireland, land-based gambling venues remain open, while in the Republic of Ireland they are closed until at least 2 December.
Several European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Czech Republic, have also imposed nationwide lockdowns in response to the second wave of Covid-19 across Europe.
These lockdown measures have significant implications for businesses in the gambling industry. GVC Holdings, for example, estimates that the closures of its English outlets could lead to a decline of £27.0m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). When combined with restrictions across Europe, the overall fall in EBITDA could reach £37.0m. If the closures are extended for a month across all of its outlets in the UK, GVC predicts an EBITDA deficit of £34.0m, with an overall potential deficit of £43.0m.
GVC emphasizes that the well-being, safety, and security of its employees and customers are paramount and it is following government advice and implementing contingency plans to minimize the impact on the business.
The Betting and Gaming Council, representing the industry in Britain, had previously urged the government not to force gambling venues to close, citing potential job losses. However, the government proceeded with its regional lockdown approach despite these concerns.
