Italian betting and gaming operator Newgioco Group has began re-opening its retail venues as the country eases its lockdown restrictions.
Newgioco closed around 150 of its betting kiosks across Italy in mid-March following the COVID-19 outbreak.
The company has now re-opened its webshops in a number of locations after distributing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
This takes the form of utility stands situated in each location that contain antiseptic hand gel, face masks and gloves to provide personal protection for both store salesclerks and visiting customers, with the stands made available to store owners free of charge.
“This is an important economic commitment on the part of our company to share our responsibilities towards reopening the economy in countries where we operate,” said Newgioco Group chief operating officer Alessandro Marcelli. “We consider the role that our sales agents and retail vendors play as brand ambassadors to be fundamental.
“We are living a pivotal moment, COVID-19 is likely to change our economic structure at all levels and within this new phase of complete uncertainty, the most fragile elements are specifically small businesses. This is why we are giving real help for the restart, not just promises. A restart that we believe will be gradual at first given the concern for preventing continuous spread of COVID-19 in our communities. We decided to give our sales network a small boost, to those who believe in us, and a signal to say that we believe in them.”
Shares in Newgioco Group Inc (NAQ:NWGI) closed down 0.52 per cent at US$3.83 per share in New York Tuesday.