A survey carried out by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has revealed divisions in the way that UK gambling firms have responded to recent coronavirus restrictions, with two-thirds of respondents not accessing government support.

The DCMS survey, entitled ‘The Coronavirus Impact Business Survey’, revealed that 19 betting companies had received financial support from the government while 39 had not.

The specific details of those surveyed have not been revealed, however it is likely that a large majority of respondents are land-based betting companies.

Of those surveyed, 20 operators had not signed up to the government’s furlough scheme. Three gambling companies had furloughed between 50 per cent and 74 per cent of staff, while 32 had furloughed between 75 per cent and 100 per cent.

Thirty gambling companies revealed that they had taken a 100 per cent revenue hit since the lockdown, in stark contrast to just two that had seen revenues increase or remain the same.

Fourteen of the gambling companies surveyed had seen revenue drop between 50 per cent and 99 per cent, while eight companies reported revenue decreases between one per cent and 49 per cent.

Responding to questions on how long companies estimate that they can continue to trade, 20 companies believed that the future of their business was under threat – while a further 20 revealed that they were not concerned about future trading.

Nine betting companies estimated that, without further financial backing from the government, they could continue trading for one-to-three months. Twenty bookmakers believed that they could continue trading for three-to-six months with additional support, while a further 20 believed they could trade for longer than six months.

A further five were uncertain as to how long they could continue to operate, while two had already shut their doors.