Scottish Casino Industry Warns Hundreds of Jobs at Risk Unless Restrictions Change

The Casino industry leaders in Scotland have informed the Government that hundreds of casino jobs are at risk and urged the Government to change the current tiering restrictions.

While pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas are able to continue to trade in level two or below, the shutters came down on casino venues when the Scotland strategic framework was announced.

The industry leaders said there was “not a shred of scientific evidence” supporting the decision to keep casinos closed in level two while other hospitality venues are able to stay open.

Now, 11 casino venues in Scotland which support more than 700 jobs, in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have launched a petition encouraging their customers to write to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to enable the recovery of the sector.

Led by Grosvenor Casinos, with the support of Genting Casinos, Caesars Entertainment and the Betting and Gaming Council, the campaign points to the belief that the casino industry is being unfairly singled out.

Jonathon Swaine, managing director of Grosvenor Casinos, said: “We cannot stress enough how damaging it is that casinos across Scotland are being imposed with these arbitrary restrictions.

“As an industry we provide ultra-safe venues for colleagues and customers to visit. There is not a shred of scientific evidence which supports the decision to keep casinos closed in Level 2 while other hospitality venues are able to stay open.

“If Scottish casinos are forced to remain closed it will have a devastating impact on those customers who enjoy their local venues as a community hub, on team members who will lose their jobs, on the local suppliers it serves, on the charities that they are proud to support, as well as on the wider economy which will lose millions of pounds in tax receipts.”