6. Apr 2020
Lottery, sports betting, and gaming sectors battered by coronavirus
- COVID-19 cases top 1.25 million as one-third of the world goes on lockdown
- Lottomatica, SELAE, and ONCE suspend all sales as China Sports and China Welfare resume operations on a rolling basis
- North American lotteries suspend VLT operations and close prize redemption claim centers
- Sports betting hit by adjournment of major events and competitions including the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Euro 2020, and the 2020 Summer Olympics
- All casinos in Las Vegas close as Macau casinos cautiously reopen
- Major turf events including the Kentucky Derby and the Grand National postponed as horse racing is cancelled or moved behind closed doors
- US congress approves USD 2.2 trillion relief package as 10 million Americans file for unemployment
- H2 Global Gaming's 2020 total gambling forecast now downgraded 12.1% on pre-outbreak estimates.