UK Post-Brexit Immigration Policy Will Hurt Casino Sector
Planned UK immigration laws will damage the casino sector and other parts of the UK economy. That’s the word from gambling industry trade association the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which called on the government to exempt casino workers from a new, stricter set of rules which are due to come into effect after the UK’s full departure from the European Union next year. UK casinos like London’s Hippodrome rely on immigrants for 70 percent of their workforce.
Under the proposed “points system,” working visa applicants will be awarded points based on meeting a set of criteria that includes skills, qualifications, and the ability to speak English. But according to the BGC, many of the foreign workers that account for 70 percent of casino staff in the UK would not meet the new standards to qualify to work.
Applicants will have to score a tally of 70 points under the government’s proposed system. Having a job offer from an “approved employer” at an “appropriate skill level” will gain an applicant 50 points right off the bat. But it’s somewhat tougher to push the score up to 70. A PhD, for example, will only get you an extra ten points, although it’s double that if your doctorate is in a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering, or math).
“Croupiers will not qualify as having the specific skills, qualifications, salaries, or professions,” the BGC warned, adding that “using arbitrary skills or salary requirements will damage highly successful parts of the UK economy.”
“Casinos are a hugely important part of our country’s leisure industry, attracting thousands of wealthy tourists to the UK from around the world,” said BGC chief executive Michael Dugher in a statement. “In order to remain competitive, our casinos need the best croupiers with great arithmetic agility. The government wants to deliver on its promise and replace the free cross-border movement of the EU with a tougher system that “attracts and welcomes the brightest and the best.”
