London isn’t only one of the most visited cities in the world for sightseeing. It’s also one of the largest gambling cities in the world, definitely in Europe.
Casinos, bookmakers, bingo halls, all these venues have lost business over the past 12+ months. With the 17th May relaxation restrictions looming, what is betting life going to be like in this post-pandemic era? Well, that’s what we’re going to look at.
Bookmaker Shops
Bookmakers across England and Wales were the first gambling venues to reopen. This was from 12th April, so over a month before casinos and other indoor venues were allowed to welcome back customers.
There were, of course, restrictions in place though. Each customer could only spend a maximum of 15 minutes inside the shop before having to leave. All sporting events that are usually live on TVs inside the shops had to remain switched off. In fact, all seats and tables have been removed until further notice. Staff must make sure that customers are socially distanced at all times too.
In total, there are eight customers allowed in a shop at any one time. Also, visitors can only enter the premises twice each day. This is hard to police though for staff. Customers could go to one shop and then another bookie just down the road.
Some of these restrictions will be lifted as of the 17th of May. So, people will be able to go and place bets on the Euros at betting shops more easily.
Reopening of Casinos
Land-based casinos have had a tough time compared to their online counterparts. There have been many people searching for a UK online casinos list as casinos have been closed for the majority of the last year.
For businesses, like Rank Group who operate Grosvenor casinos across the country, they’ll be pleased to hear they can start to reopen from May.
Casinos fall under the category of indoor hospitality, meaning that from the 17th of May all land-based casinos can reopen. Those living in Scotland, though, will have to wait longer as casinos aren’t allowed to reopen until June.
Social distancing will have to be maintained, and there will be a maximum of 50% capacity or 1000 people. People will still be required to wear masks inside until further notice too, that includes the dealers.
Bingo Halls
Bingo halls are in the same situation as casinos. Meaning that they won’t be reopening until 17th May. Mecca Bingo and Buzz Bingo have struggled to keep staff on due to being shut for most of the year, apart from after the first lockdown. This led to Buzz Bingo being forced to permanently close 26 bingo halls.
Although some halls are closing, bingo is still one of Britain’s favourite pastimes as it’s a low-cost form of entertainment. Due to the social element of bingo, halls will surely be back to normal capacity shortly after the current restrictions are removed.
Racecourses
Although there aren’t any frequently visited racecourses in greater London, many Londoners like to enjoy a trip to the races. Windsor, Sandown, Kempton Park, Brighton, and Lingfield are the closest to visit for day trips or long weekends.
Owners of horses have been allowed back to the tracks to watch, but not yet fans. With the hospitality industry reopening on 17th May, racecourses will be allowed to host a limited number of racegoers from this date.
Depending on the enclosure, racecourses will be able to host 50% or 1,000 people indoors, but for outdoor venues, this can be 50% or 4,000 people. December was the last time that racecourses had fans to watch. There may also be the opportunity of removing all caps from June 21st.
