Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined that “non-essential” retailers can potentially reopen from June 15th which would mean that betting shops across Britain would be open for the start of Royal Ascot.
The government discussed earlier on during the pandemic that it would be more likely that betting shops and other retail shops under the same bracket would not open until July 4th but betting shops appeared in a list of non-essential retail outlets published on Monday night.
Betting shops were previously classified as being part of the hospitality sector which, as it stands, would not be permitted to open until July at the earliest, but the situation is ever evolving.
It has been estimated that the closures of betting shops since March has cost the industry close to £8 million per month from the levy, plus a far larger sum in lost media rights income.
With certain things looking like they will getting back to as normal as physically possible in the current climate, Royal Ascot behind closed doors being one of those things, is set to help the racing industry in abundance.