

Casinos in England are set to reopen on Saturday, but one of the country’s big three isn’t ready to gamble just yet.
Casinos in England will reopen on Aug. 1, but Aspers Casinos will remain closed for the time being. (Image: Casino Finder HQ)
Grosvenor Casinos and Genting will unveil their safety measures on Aug. 1, but Aspers is still COVID-proofing its four venues. News of the delay was posted on its website this week.
Aspers has prepared a COVID-19 risk assessment in line with Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) guidelines. However, the management team is still finalizing the reopening strategy.
It’s been more than four months since casinos in the UK closed due to COVID-19. Grosvenor Casino’s parent company, The Rank Group, said the shutdown cost them £10 million/$12.2 million per month.
In its role as an industry trade body, the BGC was in constant communication with the government. As other parts of the leisure industry reopened in June, BGC Chief Executive Michal Dugher said casinos must be afforded the same opportunity.
We'll be OPENING our doors in select clubs across England on 1st August! 🙌
Before you come and visit, check out this video where @mrdavidhaye shows the changes we’re making. Our priority is keeping you and our team safe so that we can all enjoy the experience. #GrosvenorWithYou pic.twitter.com/cAEORqRkAU
— Grosvenor Casinos (@GrosvenorCasino) July 20, 2020
Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally obliged in mid-July, telling casino operators in England they can reopen on Aug. 1. Due to the devolution of power in the UK, Johnson’s mandate doesn’t extend to Scotland and Wales.
As such, casinos in England will get back to business this weekend, but their counterparts in Scotland and Wales will remain closed.
English casino operators have had a chance to learn from the successes and failures in other countries, and customers will be greeted with a variety of safety measures.
Las Vegas initially tried a relaxed approach. Patrons weren’t required to wear face masks and social distancing wasn’t strictly enforced away from gaming tables.
A spike in infections subsequently forced the Nevada Gaming Control Board to issue new regulations, including the wearing of masks.
When Grosvenor and Genting casinos in England open this weekend, the following rules will be in place:
The current measures may force some people to rethink a trip to their local casino. Although operators have tried to maintain a certain degree of normalcy, the experience may not suit some.
For those people, the Czech Republic and Vietnam will offer some light. Casinos in both countries initially reopened with tight controls. However, following a drop in infection rates, rules on face masks have been lifted.
Moreover, the Czech Republic’s King’s Casino Rozvadov has been hosting poker tournaments for a month now.
Therefore, the measures in place can and will change. For now, the reopening of casinos in England is the first important step in helping the industry recover from the impact of COVID-19.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Discuss all the latest poker news in the CardsChat forum