Breeding & Racing Magazine

You Bet UK Punters Will Love This Week

Following a further lifting of restrictions by the British government, betting shops in England were greenlighted for opening from Monday forward, reports racingpost.com. The decision coincides with an extravaganza of sport in the UK that includes a resumption of the English Premier League on Wednesday and racing’s return to Royal Ascot which runs from Tuesday to Saturday inclusive. It won’t quite be business as usual however, with the betting shops – closed since mid March – having had some changes applied. They include, unsurprisingly, new social distancing protocols plus the introduction of ‘sneeze screens’ for the protection of staff, something that has become ubiquitous at grocery chains in Australia. Bookmaker William Hill has also removed pens from its outlets and are providing wipes and spray for customers to use before using a betting machine. Unfortunately for punters in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, they will have to wait a little longer for their respective betting shops to open.