The bingo and casino industry have really been hit hard during the Covid pandemic and the latest round of lockdown measures have forced venues to close once again. Mecca Bingo boss has now slammed the new rules as ‘illogical’ and making ‘zero sense’.
‘It makes zero sense’
The country is now part of a three tier system based on Covid infection rates, with tier 3 areas now having to comply with the tightest restrictions. These restrictions include the forced closure of bingo halls and casino venues. Lancashire and parts of Liverpool had these restrictions imposed last week and now Greater Manchester and areas of South Yorkshire, including Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham, are facing the same closures. 
Mecca Bingo boss John O’Reilly has called the rules for bingo halls ‘illogical’ and said it is impossible to plan for these closures when venues are shut ‘on a whim’. He said: “It makes zero sense…we have been clumsily and inadvertently caught up in misdirected measures that do nothing to supress the virus, but which have put thousands of jobs and livelihoods at risk….The impact on colleagues is immense, they are bereft frankly.” He continued: “It seems wholly illogical that in Blackpool I can go to the door of the Grosvenor casino, which is on one side of the seafront and it’s shut, and I can turn and cross the road and walk into a public house serving steak and kidney pies and pints of lager and it’s heaving with people. Shutting businesses down on what appears to be a bit of a whim just is another example of how all of this ceases to make much sense.’
Betting and Gaming Council
The Betting and Gaming Council have also expressed their concern for the betting industry as a whole as betting shops and casinos have been forced to close once again. CEO Mark Dugher has continued to say there is no evidence that casinos and betting shops have contributed to the spread of the virus and all have adhered to the strict health and safety measures to ensure they are Covid secure. He too agreed they have had ‘the rug pulled from under them’.Like casinos and betting shops, bingo venues have already invested millions of pounds making venue safe, putting up screening, limiting numbers, social distancing and thorough cleaning programmes. Sadly for many more venues, doors are closing once again this weekend.