The Welsh Government’s decision to give casinos the green light to re-open has been hailed as “the right move” by the Betting and Gaming Council.

Mark Drakeford, Wales’s First Minister, said the venues will be able to get back to business from 29 August following the Covid-19 lockdown.

Wales has four casinos employing around 300 people.

Mr Drakeford’s announcement comes after his counterpart in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, confirmed that Scottish casinos will open their doors again on 24 August. Casinos in England have been able to open since 15 August.

Between them, the UK’s 125 casinos employ 14,000 people and before the Covid-19 lockdown were contributing around £300m a year in tax to the Treasury.

The venues have introduced a range of measures to ensure the safety of returning staff and customers.

These include Perspex screens, sophisticated track and trace systems and strict social distancing rules.

Commenting on the Welsh announcement, BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said: “I warmly welcome this announcement by Mark Drakeford, which is the right move and a tremendous boost for the hundreds of men and women who work in Welsh casinos, as well as their customers.

“The Welsh Government has listened to the concerns of our members and responded to the tremendous efforts they have made to ensure they can re-open safely.

“It’s great news that casinos across Great Britain are now able to open their doors and make a vital contribution to the country’s economic recovery.”