Casinos in Catalonia “perplexed” over continued closure

Despite some businesses in the Spanish region being allowed to reopen, casinos and gaming halls remain closed.

Spain.- Casino operators in Catalonia have complained that they are being discriminated against by authorities and that there is no reason their venues should still be closed.

The trade association that represents private gaming operators in Catalonia, PATROJOC, said it was “perplexed” after the autonomous community announced a relaxing of Covid-19 countermeasures to permit more commercial activity but excluded gambling venues.

The association said in a statement: “We consider that there is no public health reason to lead the Generalitat de Catalunya to exclude our sector from the flexibilization of measures.

“Not considering private gambling is clear and deliberate discrimination of a sector that is especially safe at the health level. The control of access to premises allows us to be very strict with capacity and to have total traceability if necessary in case of possible infection.”

Carlos Duelo, a representative of PATROJOC, said: “This type of establishment is a business like any other. Additional security measures have been applied, such as the installation of screens between machines, disinfection after use, ventilation and air renewal and other measures.”

Last week, the Catalan Ombudsman asked the regional government to assess the reopening of gambling halls, saying there was no evidence that they had any impact on the spread of Covid-19.