The casino industry in Scotland has come together to launch a campaign aimed at urging the Scottish Government to reconsider its coronavirus restrictions which are keeping venues closed.

Scotland entered a five-level system of coronavirus restrictions from 2 November, forcing casinos in the country to close.

Scotland’s largest casino operator Grosvenor Casinos, has now led the campaign ‘The Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’, with support of Genting Casino, Caesars Entertainment and the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).

The message of the campaign is to encourage First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to enable the recovery of the casino industry by allowing them to open in Level 2, with 11 casinos in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow launching the petition.

The casinos point to the fact pubs, restaurants and cinemas are able to trade in Level 2 or below as to why the Government should lift the current restrictions on casinos and for it to better understand evidence pointing to casinos being safe venues.

Grosvenor Casinos managing director Jonathon Swaine, said: “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.”

Previously, casinos in Scotland reopened for the first time on 24 August since closing in mid-March, but the majority were forced shut again from 10 October, when the hospitality sector in the country was made to close in central Scotland.