Bet365 guarantee workforce pay until August amid coronavirus crisis

Bookmakers have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak but staff at online gambling giant bet365 have received assurances they will be paid despite the ongoing pandemic causing economic turmoil.

The betting industry has been heavily impacted by a decimated sporting schedule, with British racing called off until at least the end of April and football suspended until April 30 at the earliest, while other sporting calendars have seen similar devastation.

However, bet365 – which in December announced turnover of £2.98billion and an operating profit of £767million in the financial year to the end of last March – 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 Stoke-based firm employ more than 4,600 staff and have put in place a multi-million package of support for workers during the global Covid-19 crisis.

A bet365 spokesperson said to the Stoke Sentinel: "In times of uncertainty it was essential that we reassured our people of the commitment we have to them and the wider community.

"They've been instrumental in our success and will continue to be so throughout these troubling times and beyond, when normality will inevitably be restored."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said last week the government will step in to help companies by promising to pay 80 per cent of salaries – up to £2,500 a month – in an effort to avoid job losses.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced new measures to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus late on Monday evening, including further limitations on when people can leave their homes in Britain. People will only be allowed to leave their homes to shop for basic necessities, for any medical need, to travel to and from necessary work and for one form of exercise a day.

All shops selling non-essential products will close immediately and all gatherings stopped of more than two people – excluding people you live with. Police will have powers to enforce the new measures and the restrictions will be in place for at least three weeks.

Sporting events continued to fall by the way side on Monday as the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating.

Speaking at a Geneva press briefing, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “It took 67 days from the first reported case to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases, and just four days for the third 100,000 cases.”

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has called for all British travellers to return home immediately while transport allows, going further than last week's advice against all but essential travel globally for 30 days.

A further 46 deaths were announced by NHS England on Monday – all aged between 47 and 105 and with underlying health conditions – which, in addition to a further fourth deaths in Wales and four in Scotland, has increased the number of Covid-19 fatalities in Britain to 335.

Jockeys at Clonmel were following social distancing adviceCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

As of 9am on Monday, there has been 6,650 positive cases from 83,945 people tested.

This summer's Olympics Games in Tokyo, which is due to start in July, is increasingly under threat, with the chairman of the British Olympic Association warning they will not send a Great Britain team if the spread of coronavirus continues as predicted. World Athletics president Lord Coe has also called for the Olympics to be postponed.

Racing in South Africa will be in lockdown as of Friday for 21 days, while elsewhere, British boxing’s current suspension has been extended until at least the end of April and June’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix has become the eighth Formula One race postponed.

The Champions League and Europa League finals have been postponed and all football in Spain has been put on hold indefinitely. Australia's A-League and National Rugby League, both of which had continued behind closed doors, have been suspended.

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