It has been a difficult year for many, with the Covid-19 pandemic leaving a good chunk of the world in lockdowns for months on end. The UK has struggled with the pandemic in many ways and has entered three separate lockdowns to keep the virus from spreading too fast and overwhelming the doctors.
The trends in recent weeks have been good, which has led the government to start releasing the measures, one by one. In a recent step to re-open the economy, England and Wales have both allowed for high street betting shops to continue operation, following 13 weeks of full shutdown.
Of course, the pandemic is not yet behind us and there are still fears and concerns, even as the number of vaccinated Brits rises by the day. Online gambling has been available the whole time, with many jumping at opportunities to claim free spins for slot games at providers like Unibet or enjoy some online betting, but now gambling in the real world is back as well. Since recently, all gambling sites in the UK have to participate in the GamStop program. It is important to research and find ways to cancel Gamstop.
A Developing Situation
The Covid-19 pandemic has put governments around the world in a very awkward situation. On the one hand, closing down shops and restricting people’s movement is a significant blow to human rights and civil liberties; while on the other protecting the health of the population is extremely important. With the virus spreading in such invisible ways, lockdowns have often been the best temporary solution that could be found.
Great Britain has been fairly strict with lockdowns and has introduced them on three separate occasions. The last one, which started early this year, is now cautiously coming to an end. Gaming operators have been significantly hit by the lockdowns, having to close down hundreds of shops for weeks at a time. While much of that was alleviated by the ability to offer services online, many players have missed betting in person.
Some restrictions remain in place however, as the government is trying to control the pandemic to the best of their abilities. The betting shops are not allowed to offer sitting places, nor show footage of sporting events that may cause players to remain in the shops to watch the games. Instead, players are to place their bets and move along.
Everyone Happy to Be Back to Work
As expected, there is optimism across the entire gaming industry. As shops are reopening, their owners and staff can return to work and alleviate some of the stress that’s been caused by three months out of work. Chisholm Bookmakers Limited Managing Director Howard Chisholm told the Racing Post that both he and the staff were eager to get back to work, despite the relative restrictions.
The Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council group, Michael Dugher has also announced his excitement about this move. He told the Racing Post that everyone in the industry has had a difficult three months and that they were extremely pleased to be back to work. He also said only the best about the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
For the time being, betting shops across England and Wales remain open, as those in charge continue to closely monitor the situation and reassess the measures in place. With some luck, further lockdowns will not be necessary and the vaccination process will be enough to quench the pandemic once and for all.
OTS News on Social Media