Betting and Gaming Council CEO Michael Dugher and Hippodrome Casino CEO Simon Thomas had previously expressed their dismay that casinos have remained closed in the UK, while pubs, restaurants and bingo halls have been allowed to reopen.

Several casino operators have also publicly announced financial struggles, casino closures and job cuts, not least Genting UK.

However, casinos will now be allowed to reopen on 1 August, among a series of other recommendations from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Properties in Scotland and Wales may still have to wait, with no reopenings as of yet announced.

As the economy starts to recover off the back of these changes, the hope is that UK restrictions do not become too lax and provoke a second wave of the COVID-19 virus.