England’s casinos and betting shops are close to ending COVID-19 restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the country appears to be on the right track to start the last stage of lockdown on July 19. At that time, the gambling venues in the region will be able to remove rules such as social distancing and face masks.

The Betting and Gaming Council is in agreement with the government and welcomes the removal of the restrictions. Michael Dugher, the Chief Executive of the BGC, stated that the removal of the restrictions in a few weeks will provide a boost to the economy. The change is welcome news to casinos and staff members as the businesses have seen closures and restrictions for months.

BGC Calls for Travel Restriction Changes

Mr. Dugher pointed out further that during the pandemic, the casinos in England spent millions to provide top-rated anti-COVID measures to ensure that players and employees remained safe. The venues will continue to provide a safe and secure environment even after the restrictions are lifted.

The BGC would also like to see the travel restrictions eased so that more travelers can visit and take part in boosting the tourism industry. Mr. Dugher stated that the BGC would like to see more progress on foreign travel while still providing proper safeguards so that the virus is not spread.

The casinos in London help to build the tourism sector and with more travel, the casinos would see more visitors, which would boost revenues.

Betting Shops Will Benefit

With the restrictions removed before the month’s end, betting shops will also be in a position to help the local economies in the UK. Betting shops play a pivotal role in the non-essential retail sector as they support high streets throughout the country.

For race meetings and additional sporting events, the restriction changes will signal the return of capacity crowds. This will also help boost ticket sales to events as well as sports betting totals. Fans have been unable to attend events for months, so the new changes will create a semblance of normalcy as fans will be able to watch games and meetings live, posting bets as they like during the action.

Around the world, restrictions are easing regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people are vaccinated, officials feel more secure in removing such restrictions and allowing activities to take place again as normal. The next few months should reveal if the removal of restrictions was the right thing to do or if there is another wave of positive COVID-19 cases due to less social distancing and mask-wearing.