“This situation is really tough, and it’s having a huge
effect on me, especially mentally. I love my job and just want to be able to go to work. I am fortunate that my wife is still working but that is not the case with some of our staff. “We have a lot of couples working together in our casino which means both are currently not working. These tough times are being felt across the team at our casino. We are a close-knit group, so we have all stayed in touch, which is nice, but everyone is struggling through this hard time. Our customers are included in this too. We spoke to them when they
returned initially and they were excited to see some friendly faces, but now we are forced to close and we’re back to square one.
“My biggest worry about the situation and its ramifications is job security. I have been in this
industry for fifteen years and the longer we are closed the more worried and anxious I am about the future. The long-term effects of this could be disastrous. I would like us to work alongside the government to get casinos open again across the country and for us to be allowed to open in Level 2 restrictions much like others in the hospitality industry.”
Paul Strachan, a 36-year-old Gaming Supervisor at Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Riverboat, lives in Kilmarnock and has been with Grosvenor for 15 years. Grosvenor Casinos Glasgow
trade association Betting and Gaming Council, ‘Te Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’ campaign points to the belief that the casino industry is being unfairly singled out.
Whilst pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas are able to continue to trade in Level 2 or below, the shutters came down on casino venues when the Scotland Strategic Framework was announced, putting jobs and livelihoods at risk.
Casinos are stressing the urgent need for the Scottish Government to lift the current restrictions imposed and allow venues to open in Level 2, and are asking the government to better understand the evidence which clearly points to casinos as ultra-safe venues.
“The current closure of the casino has put a lot of
pressure on our family life with the uncertainty of what could happen in the future. It creates a lot of pressure in the workplace too.
“The impact the closures are having on the staff I would say is causing a lot of uncertainty. Just as our
colleagues were trying to get back to normality, we had to close once again. To see the team have to go
through that experience and seeing how it’s going to affect them is difficult.
“My biggest fear of the closures for the casino industry would be that they would go so far as to end a lot of the industry. They could result in mass closures across the country and companies could fall under the
pressures of not being able to operate. At the end of the day, it is our livelihoods at stake.
“What I would like is for us to be treated fairly across the board as I believe our safety measures are far better and far more controlled than most other businesses out there in the UK.”
Andrew Miller, a 30-year-old Dad of two and General Manager at Grosvenor Casino Dundee, who lives in Anstruther, Fife, and has worked with the company for six years
Grosvenor Casino Dundee
“We cannot stress enough how damaging it is that casinos across Scotland are being imposed with these arbitrary
restrictions. As an industry we provide ultra-safe venues for colleagues and customers to visit. There is not a shred of scientific evidence which supports the decision.”
“The current situation with the closures is really
affecting me. I feel uncertain about the future and I am worried about my team, the future of the business and the industry for that matter. It makes me disheartened that all our effort to make our venues in Scotland ultra COVID safe is not being appreciated. My staff are deeply concerned about how the business will look in the future and remind me often about how much they miss the community we have created here. They miss their colleagues and being able to socialise and have fun while they work.
“I know our customers feel the same way. We are
perceived as a late-night destination, but our casino is much more than that. We’re part of a wider
community where people come to see each other and they see our venue as a safe place to do so. My biggest worry about this situation is the lack of clarity we have from the Scottish Government. We have gone above and beyond in terms of health and safety in our venues, but other operators are having restrictions loosened up whereas we are asked to close altogether.”
Igor Zydek, a 35-year-old Dad of one and General
Manager at Grosvenor Casino Aberdeen, who lives in the Bridge of Don and has worked for the company for 14 years
Grosvenor Casino Aberdeen
Jonathon Swaine, Managing Director of Grosvenor Casinos, said: “We cannot stress enough how damaging it is that casinos across Scotland are being imposed with these arbitrary restrictions. As an industry we provide ultra-safe venues for colleagues and customers to visit. Tere is not a shred of scientific evidence which supports the decision to keep casinos closed in Level 2 while other hospitality venues are able to stay open.
“If Scottish casinos are forced to remain closed it will have a devastating impact on those customers who enjoy their local venues as a community hub, on team members who will lose their jobs, on the local suppliers it serves, on the charities that they are proud to support, as well
NEWSWIRE / INTERACTIVE / MARKET DATA P31
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