CASINO bosses are urging Nicola Sturgeon to let them trade in Level 2 areas as a new campaign is launched.
While pubs, restaurants and cinemas can let punters through their doors in regions rated Level 2 or below, casinos cannot.
Operations are only currently allowed in Moray, the Highlands, Orkney, Shetland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – the only local authorities in Level 1.
Scotland's largest casino operator is now leading an industry push to change the rules through its ‘The Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’ campaign.
The drive – led by Grosvenor Casinos with Genting Casinos, Caesars Entertainment and the Betting and Gaming Council trade body – believe argues that the sector is being "unfairly singled out" and more than 700 jobs are at risk in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Michael Dugher, the former Labour MP and shadow culture secretary who is now chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, commented: “Casinos in Scotland safely re-opened in August, with excellent anti-Covid measures in place, and there is absolutely no evidence that they contribute to the spread of virus.
“Closing them makes no sense, especially when other parts of the hospitality sector are being allowed to stay open. That’s why the industry is rallying together to urge the Scottish Government to think again, remove casinos from Level 2 and let them get back to business.”
Scotland's casinos ordinarily makes around £30million a year in tax for the UK economy.
Venues have installed plexiglass, screens between gaming tables, hand sanitiser stations and social distancing signage in a bid to comply with pandemic control measures and continue trading safely.
Jonathon Swaine, managing director of Grosvenor Casinos, said: “There 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."
Swaine says the venues are "ultra-safe" and "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 as on the wider economy which will lose millions of pounds in tax receipts”.
Igor Zydek, general manager at the company's Aberdeen venue, said: “I am worried about my team, the future of the business and the industry.
“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.”
The Scottish Government said: "We are committed to ensuring no restriction is in place a moment longer than necessary to protect public health and reduce transmission of the virus. We will continue to build on our constructive dialogue with the industry and listen to their experiences and concerns as we move through the crisis.
"We are doing everything we can with the powers we have to help businesses, offering support which now exceeds £2.3 billion and provides grants to businesses required by law to close.
"We would like to have the flexibility to go further and are considering what could be done to mitigate closures and job losses as much as possible. As part of this we will continue to press the UK Government for more fiscal powers so we can have the flexibility required to fully support the needs of the industry."
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