Brick and mortar betting shops are traditional street side locations that offer services directly to their customers, although many of them now contain ways to connect online. There used to be up to fifteen thousand separate betting shops across the UK as a whole, and lockdown has obviously been problematic for such companies. The spread of the Covid 19 has meant that all non essential shops have had to stop operating, and gambling has not been included in those essential services.
In the largest gambling and casino hub of the world, Macau, all casinos have closed down. This should be enough to showcase how seriously gambling companies have taken the coronavirus pandemic. The companies are closing down their premises whether governments are advising it or not, as they have been prioritising health over their profits.
Profits
So far, this has obviously had a negative impact on their profit margins. With shops closed, the companies are still having to provide their employees with payment because they still have lives to fund, and yet they have no manner of accumulating money. When a company can does not get money from any of their usual sources, then they have to close, so they will be hoping to reopen as soon as they possibly can, however with the unprecedented current situation, this can not be guaranteed any time soon. People are slowly being allowed back into parks; however a two metre distance is still being required with non family members or non members of the same house hold. With these rules, it could be months until brick and mortar betting and gambling shops will be able to open again.
The Move Online
The move online has lessened the impact on brick and mortar betting shops owned by big companies, as they are reporting increased activity on their online casinos and betting sites like findbettingsites.co.uk. With the Bundesliga restarting and an increased interest in the Belorussian Premier League, sports betting has become available again, although only slightly.
Companies such as Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill are not struggling as they are big enough to cover the losses of their brick and mortar shops with their virtual gambling, but it is important to remember that this is not the case with all such types of betting shops. Some will possibly have to close permanently because of the coronavirus and how it has impacted day to day society. Unfortunately for the owners of the brick and mortar betting shop, gambling will not be deemed an essential activity any time soon, so although they might be reluctant close, they understand the reasons behind it and are following the general guidelines set by the government in order to minimise the reach of the coronavirus and not be an addition to its spread worldwide.
Health comes before everything, especially the health of the most vulnerable in society, and those most susceptible to be negatively impacted by Covid-19. Hopefully, the brick and mortar betting shops will be able to cover their losses from the closure of these shops.
