With the worldwide sporting schedule having been decimated, bookmakers are under severe financial pressure along with many other businesses.
British racing has been called off until at least the end of April, for example, and football suspended until April 30 at the earliest. Greyhound stadiums also look like they will fall foul of the latest social distancing advice but Stoke-based online bookmaker Bet365 is at least trying to do the right thing by its staff.
The gambling colossus has given staff assurances they will be paid despite the ongoing pandemic causing economic turmoil.
Bet365 has an estimated turnover of £2.98billion and reported an operating profit of £767million in the financial year to the end of last March. They have promised to guarantee the pay of its workforce for at least the next five months and that there will no job losses in the same time period. The firm employ more than 4,600 staff in the Midlands but have put together a multi-million consideration for its workers during the ongoing global crisis.
A few high-profile British businesses have failed to show the same consideration for their employees but let us hope that the actions of Bet365 will shame other bookmakers into following their precedent and safeguarding the betting industry for when some measure of normality is eventually resumed.
