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UK Post-Brexit Immigration Practices Could Affect Casino Industry
March 16, 2020 TamaraTam
The United Kingdom has officially left the European Union and the country is now looking to reregulate a number of topics. Most important changes will affect immigration policy which would result in implications for the casino sector.
What is Planned
According to the claims, UK authorities plan to introduce a point-based immigration strategy that will apply to all people including those from the EU. It means that individuals will be able to receive a visa only if they have enough points based on several criteria – education level, English speaking skills, etc.
The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) believes that all these will affect not only gambling but also the tourism and hospitality sectors.
The new immigration policy will come into effect starting from January 1, 2021. Most of the current live dealers in British casinos will have to leave the UK ground as they don’t meet conditions.
BGC issued the statement:
“Casinos remain a hugely important part of Britain’s leisure economy, attracting tourists to the U.K. and providing an unrivalled social experience for millions of people each year. A vibrant, modern and world-renowned casino sector is a driver for high-value tourism from China, the Middle East and elsewhere. The Federation of Small Businesses has warned that the proposed measures will hit hospitality and tourism businesses hard. Casinos employ over 14,000 people, indirectly another 4,000 jobs across the U.K. and contribute over £300 million [$383.88 million] in tax revenue every year.”
Additional Concerns
Brand-new immigration policy across the United Kingdom will result in a decrease of the local casino sector. It means that stringent gaming rules will create competition in the markets with the UK losing its starting position over Asian and European participants.
CEO at BGC, Michael Dugher, noted:
“While we are determined to grow the number of U.K. croupiers through the NVQ in Gaming Operations available at many colleges and through the [world-class] Nottingham Casino Academy, we need the ability to employ the best from around the world. Using arbitrary skills or salary requirements will damage highly successful parts of the U.K. economy.”
Despite possible problems, the Betting and Gaming Council looks to prevent significant modifications of immigration policies to prevent drop of the casino sector. For this reason, the Group has asked the government to exclude some casinos and hospitality from the new rules. It is yet to be seen whether the UK government will include changes in the current immigration practices. Several other segments have already been excluded and making additional alterations doesn’t seem to be a difficult job…
Source:
“UK post-Brexit immigration policy to impact the casino sector”, calvinayre.com, March 4, 2020.
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It looks like the UK wants to have clear post-Brexit gaming rules. I don’t think that the country should dispel all these workers who don’t meet the criteria. Looking forward to the common solution to the problem…