‘Evolution Dual Play Roulette table games are due to come back online as UK casinos and bingo halls re-open next week! ’ (Photo by watcharlie on Unsplash)
Evolution Dual Play Roulette table games are due to come back online as UK casinos and bingo halls re-open next week!
It is also splendid news for UK punters as well as out of work dealers, croupiers, and number callers at casinos and bingo halls around England, Wales and Scotland as the government proposes to allow them to open back up 17th of May. All have been closed since December 2020 when the second COVID-19 wave of infections hit the UK with large cities like Manchester and Liverpool locking down before London and other areas as they were forced into lockdown due to huge spikes.
Now with what is looking like an incredibly successful inoculation program that shivers down the spines of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s opponents who have been accused of rather seeing him fail, which would also mean more deaths, wouldn’t it? Very odd behaviour coming out of the UK’s parliament, but quite honestly, when has it ever not been a cat and dog fight on the green benches of the world’s most televised parliament!
Anyway, enough of the politics and onto more exciting news which happens to be the fact that the silent Hippodrome Casino (London), Grosvenor’s Victoria Casino (London), and Genting’s Resorts World (Birmingham, UK) live roulette tables connected to the Evolution live dealer software platform will now see walk-in players at the casinos play alongside online players zooming into the land-based casino floors. The last time we reported on the Dual Play tables was closures back in January when the tables had to shut once more due to another COVID-19 wave!
The date of 17th of May was set back in February by the authorities, dependent on how the infection rate was brought under control and risk assessment. With the quick rollout of vaccinations and lowering of the infection rate, the UK looks well on track to meet that planned re-opening date. More than half of the UK have had at least one vaccination shot now at 53% of the population!
Locked Down and Shut since December
The first wave closed casino and betting venues down in March 2020 and reopened in July only to be shuttered again in December. So, the country and industry will be a little more cautious this time around to ensure strict hygiene rules, rotation of staff and regular cleaning is adhered to. Mecca Bingo owners Rank Group, for example, will have hourly bingo and separate session times to reduce the number of customers in at any one time.
Betting shops have been open since April, so punters have had something to do, but the reopening of casinos and bingo halls will be a welcome boost to the UK gaming industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic despite growing revenues online.
Bingo Operators Positive Outlook
Mecca Bingo confirmed in a statement that it would re-open all its venues in England, Wales and Scotland on the 17th of May. It wants to celebrate 60 years since its first branch opened in London in 1961 with diamond anniversary celebrations and promotions. The national operations director at Mecca, John Dyson, no relation to the vacuum guy, believes bingo will be in demand from people seeking a new leisure activity that is value for money and fun.
He hopes that the game will appeal to a wider audience and a younger demographic than its traditional base and by targeting them with more modern and entertaining bingo halls and games, Mecca Bingo will try to capture a wider market share.
Not so positive for others in the Sector
There have been warnings from others in the sector, however, that the prolonged closures have been unbearable. The chief executive, Michael Kill of the Night-Time Industry which includes businesses like nightclubs, bars and casinos has issued a plea to the government for more assistance as many of his members have been shut since March with limited opening hours even during the first period of re-opening.
He stated that research data and surveys of workers in the industry indicated that as much as 85% of staff in the sector would leave the industry and that could harm the whole sector for up to a generation!
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