Betting and Gaming Council welcomes Chancellor’s lifeline for top road and hospitality companies
Standards physique the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents the UK’s betting and gaming trade together with betting retailers and casinos, has welcomed the Chancellor’s choice to increase the furlough scheme till September, prolong enterprise charges aid and introduce grants for arduous pressed excessive road companies and hospitality.
These steps will assist to assist the 44,000 individuals who work within the retail betting retailers and land-based casinos.
Since the beginning of the 12 months, all betting retailers and casinos have been required to shut with out the power to generate any income. The BGC mentioned that even with partial leisure of restrictions – not anticipated till 12 April on the earliest for betting retailers and 17 May for casinos – many retail, leisure and hospitality companies would have struggled with out extra longer-term assist from the Government. The BGC pressed the Government to soundly reopen companies as shortly as doable, information allowing.
The BGC mentioned the added flexibility offered by extending furlough to September will assist companies get again up and working while retaining management over their greatest value, which is staffing.
The choice to increase enterprise charges aid will take away a significant monetary strain on companies which have suffered a major lack of revenue throughout the pandemic.
BGC members in 2020 paid practically £4 billion in taxes, contributed £350 million to horse racing and £120 million to the UK tourism trade by way of worldwide guests and their spend.
Michael Dugher, BGC chief govt mentioned: “The extension of the furlough scheme and new grants for companies are strongly welcomed by the tens of 1000’s of people that work in excessive road betting retailers and land-based casinos. Without the continued assist from the Chancellor, many of those companies would have struggled to outlive.
“We have already seen over 5,000 jobs misplaced and 375 companies closed for the reason that begin of final 12 months.
“The choice to increase the enterprise charges aid shall be welcomed by a lot of our member corporations who haven’t been in a position to open correctly for practically a 12 months now.
“Our industry will continue to play it’s part in the national effort to combat covid, supporting our local communities, and we look forward to contributing to the economic recovery”.
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