The Mundo Video team wants our readers to tell us how the Colombian operators have been affected since day one of this quarantine when ordering the closure of trade in general and especially the Casinos and gambling halls.
We started this series of interviews with Marina Gomez Urrego (pictured), an operator from the city of Medellín and who answers four questions:
MV: With the total closure of casinos since March, how have you been affected?
MCU (Marina Gomez Urrego): 100% because it has made me have no income, at this time the payroll continues to be active. The first two months I made vacation payments that I had pending, but I already had to use legal tools such as inactive contracts, furloughed, among others. On the other hand, in one of the places where I have a casino I pay rent, what I have been able to consign has been very little during these months to pay that rent because the establishment is closed.
And the rental costs in a commercial establishment are extremely high.
MV: Have you been able to access to any of the financing options that the government gave to small and medium companies?
MCU: No, not at all. Initially, I was not allowed to make loans in a bank, because the situation of gambling industry appeared as a suspended activity due to the coronavirus pandemic. And since it is still suspended, I did not try again because they will give me the same answers.
MV: Are you prepared in case the casino reopening permits are given in June?
MCU: Of course, I do, I have all the protocols very well determined. For the social distance I have particularly good space and I can move the slots machines so that the 2mts between players are respected. In other casinos that I have roulettes and I can't separate; I have the acrylic modules that separate them.
MV: Have you defined the biosecurity protocols?
MCU: In terms of hand washing, disinfection, mask stock, gel, alcohol we also have everything ready to give it to the customer and to employees, so they can use it constantly.
MV: Thank you very much for your help.
MCU: On the contrary, thanks to you for your concern and dissemination of these messages, the reality is that we are genuinely concerned, and we felt without financial aid.
