More than 1,600 jobs at risk at casino giant

More than 1,600 jobs could be lost at gambling giant Genting Casino.

Genting, which has its headquarters in Birmingham and is one of the largest gaming companies in the UK, said 1,642 jobs are at risk across its clubs and hotel and complexes throughout the UK.

The company also intends to permanently close three clubs at Margate, Torquay and Bristol, leaving a “huge question mark” hanging over the future of the prestigious Crockfords club in London, GMB, the union for leisure and hospitality workers said.

Proposals put forward by the company include ending Poker games and its hospitality services.

GMB described the news as a “slap in the face to staff”.

Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: “This announcement by the company is nothing short of outrageous. It’s a serious slap in the face to loyal and long serving staff – as well as UK public.

“Taxpayer’s cash has funded Genting to the tune of millions of pounds during lockdown – now they are making people redundant rather contribute towards the Government furlough scheme from the end of August.”

In a statement, Genting said: “Like all businesses across the leisure and hospitality sector, we have faced unprecedented challenges and heavy losses over the past few months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the ongoing uncertainty in relation to when we may be able to open our doors again, we are continuing to prepare for our re-opening – albeit with significant changes being implemented to our physical premises and to our operating model. In light of these changes, we are having to make some heart-breaking decisions about the future of the business and it is with huge regret that job losses are simply unavoidable.

“We can confirm that 1,642 colleagues in the UK have been put at risk of redundancy, however that consultation process is ongoing and we are intent on mitigating job losses as much as is possible. A significant number of those at risk of redundancy will remain on furlough, and we will be doing everything we can to bring those individuals back in to the business at a later stage.

“The Job Retention Scheme, however, is just that and therefore when it became clear to us that a significant number of roles could likely not be retained, it was only right to begin the redundancy consultation process rather than continuing to take government money via the furlough scheme.”