BGC calls for new coronageld for opening delay

Casino employees are intended to benefit from an extension of the Corona Sleofilfen. This is what the British Gambling Association Betting and Gaming Council (BGC). The previous state aid program ended on August 1st. Actually, the casinos should be reopened in this course and at this point in time and resume their business. However, since the infection figures of Corona pandemic in Great Britain have increased significantly again, the reopening was postponed by the government by a further two weeks. However, this costs the casinos again a millions from which the employees suffer directly. In order to be able to compensate for the loss, auxiliary funds in the millions are missing.

Postponed reopening costs millions

Corona pandemic and the associated, temporary closure of the British venues have hit the industry and above all the employees of the casinos hard. Michael Dugher, head of the British Gaming Association Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), calculated in a statement on the postponed reopening that these are at least 14 million British pounds of sterling, around 15.6 million $ . The government is obliged to Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) extend for casino employees.

What does the British emergency program include? While the short-time work was introduced in USA to protect employers and to secure jobs in numerous companies, the CJRS emergency program in Great Britain is currently valid until October 31. However, employers from the industries affected by the Corona pandemic will be obliged again from August 1st to pay the social security contributions for their employees themselves. In the following months of September and October, companies must first cover 20 and then 40 percent of the salary costs themselves. The criticism of the BGC appears only logical in the event of still failing sales due to the postponed reopening, the jobs of the employees in casinos should be secured.

The 14 million pounds of Sterling, which was calculated by Michael Dugher and calculated by the BGC, result from the loss of the reopening ban communicated at short notice, which resulted in a bitter loss for the operators of the casinos, as well as the fundamental, two -week loss of sales. The criticism of the BGC also results from the Different handling of the individual economic sectors.

BGC criticizes different treatment of the economic sectors

The BGC’s statement was also used to renew a criticism of Prime Minister Johnson’s Corona decisions a long time ago. This aimed at the unequal treatment of the economic sectors. Dughner said that he could not understand why pubs and restaurants are allowed to open their doors again and the operators are likely to be happy about fresh money in the coffers, while traditional houses like that Casinos would still have to remain closed. After all, it is especially the casinos that would boost the domestic economy from all over the world with its monetary well -equipped guests. In order not to destroy the gambling economy, a payment of further Corona aids and an optional reopening of the casinos is essential.

“World -famous venues with a symbolic character such as the Hippodrom and the Les Ambassadeurs are not only part of our proud past, they also want to be part of the economic revival in the future. You are not looking for a helping hand – you want to help (…) get the economy going back and contribute important tax revenue to the state treasury. ” – Michael Dugher, Head of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) gambling association, BGC website

The BGC’s public statement has so far not been an official reaction from politics. The coming days will show whether the reopening of the casinos, which is initially postponed to August 14th. Prime Minister Johnson finally expressed himself vague in his statement to postpone the reopening and of a shift in at least two weeks spoken. The operators of the casinos as well as the employees would certainly be right if this time window would remain.