Hundreds of Jobs at Risk in Scottish Casino Industry
Leaders within the casino sector in Scotland have spoken out to information the government in Holyrood that hundreds of jobs may go in their industry if things don’t change, urging it to rethink the present tiered restrictions.
In some areas, in the lower ‘tiers’, restaurants, bars and cinemas have been allowed to continue to operate. Such businesses in tier two or below can trade, while casino venues have had their doors forced shut across the land due to Scotland’s strategic tiered framework.
Petition Launched
Casino industry heads have got together to say that there was “no scientific evidence” to support the government’s decision to keep casinos shut in level two areas, especially given that other forms of hospitality were allowed to continue to trade.
A petition has now been launched by a collective of eleven casinos in Scotland who between them provide more than 700 jobs. The venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have created the petition which aims at beseeching First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to help the recovery of this industry.
The point of the campaign is to highlight the belief that the casino sector is being unfairly treated, especially in comparison with pubs. The movement is led by Grosvenor Casinos and has garnered help from Caesars Entertainment, Genting Casinos and also the Betting and Gaming Council who are all on board.
Are Restrictions Imposed on a Whim?
Leading the way is one of the gambling industry’s leading names, Grosvenor, with their managing director Jonathon Swaine speaking out to highlight the effect of the current lockdown. Swaine has been at pains to stress that the casino industry is being hugely damaged in Scotland, and that casinos all over the country are being hit with ‘arbitrary’ restrictions.
The Grosvenor leader also spoke publicly to say that, as an entire industry, he believes that they provide very safe venues in which customers can relax and enjoy themselves, while they are also safe and secure for staff members.
There does not appear to be much in the way of scientific proof to support the decision Sturgeon has made to keep casinos closed in level 2 areas, at the same time as pubs and restaurants are allowed to remain open.
Worryingly, if casinos in Scotland are forced to stay closed for the foreseeable future it does seem to be heading towards having a terrifying impact on many people.
Customers who not only enjoy but rely on their local casinos as a place to visit and meet people, casino colleagues who may well lose their jobs entirely, and of course of the various suppliers contracted to provide food, drink and maintenance to the venues.
As well as this, charities the casinos regularly contribute to will also lose out on what is essentially a major part of their much-needed income.
Sturgeon’s Popularity Misrepresented Outside of Scotland
Due to Boris Johnson’s perceived bad handling of the coronavirus crisis and the fact that he appears to concentrate only on England, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been compared favourably in comparison.
However, as this campaign from the casino industry helps to highlight, the way this crisis has been handled in Scotland is simply nowhere near as competent as those beyond the territory, especially within the staunch SNP support, have so far comprehended.
Whether Sturgeon backtracks on this decision is yet to be seen, but the stark reality is that there has been absolutely no good reason given for closing down casinos at a time when similar venues are allowed to trade which is reckless, and does her credibility no good whatsoever.
