Irish Bookmakers to Reopen on June 29

Irish bookmakers have decided to reopen their shops on June 29, which will be the third phase of the Government’s roadmap to easing Covid-19 restrictions. The decision on reopening was made during an online meeting of the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) members.

Small retail outlets can reopen with a small number of staff in Phase Two in early June on the basis that the retailer can control the number of individuals that staff and customers interact with at any one time. But the IBA is postponing opening to the next phase.

“The top priority for our members is the health of their colleagues and customers. Our members are working to ensure robust safety protocols and procedures are in place to adequately protect staff and customers. Over the next number of weeks, we expect the public will have adjusted to the phased reopening of retail outlets in general,” Sharon Byrne, chief executive of the IBA, said.

“All our members will adhere to the detailed guidelines given to them by the IBA and by Government. We are developing comprehensive procedures to guide our members in preparing their shops for reopening. We will also have an online training portal for retail staff, which is guided by the Government’s Return to Work Safely protocol,” Byrne added.