Scottish casinos, bingo halls set to reopen on August 24

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Thursday that the country’s casinos and bingo halls are provisionally set to reopen on 24 August. Scotland is currently implementing phase three of its four-stage plan to ease restrictions that are in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The announcement came as casinos in England prepare to re-open on 1 August, having put in place a range of measures to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

Scotland’s 11 casinos, which employ around 800 people, have also gone above and beyond what is required to ensure their venues are Covid-secure. They include Perspex screens, hand sanitisation equipment, track and tracing mechanisms and strict social distancing measures.

Betting and Gaming Council welcomes government’s plans

Michael Dugher, chief executive of the BGC, said: “We are delighted that casinos and bingo halls in Scotland have finally been given a date to re-open.

“They have demonstrated their commitment to ensuring the safety of their staff and customers, and it’s great that this has been recognised by the Scottish Government.

“We’re already looking forward to casinos in England opening their doors again this weekend, and I hope that their Welsh colleagues will soon be receiving the same good news.

“I’m also very pleased that the Scottish Government has listened to our concerns about betting shops having to switch off their gaming machines. It’s great that they will be back on again from 24 August.”