UK betting shops have been cleared to reopen on June 15 if they can implement the government’s COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the latest stage in the government’s post-pandemic economic recovery strategy. Among the ‘non-essential’ retail operations cleared to open on June 15 are the nation’s thousands of betting shops and arcades, which were ordered to shut their doors on March 20 to minimize further COVID-19 transmission.

The reopening date is still three weeks away, and the permission could be rescinded should the UK’s COVID-19 infection rates spike. The government has also warned that shops that fail to adhere to the required social distancing, limited capacity and disinfection protocols will result in their operators facing financial penalties and possible jail time for management.

It remains to be seen how many shops will be able to reopen with the necessary protocols in place, and whether there will be enough customers to justify the shops remaining open. It’s widely suspected that the retail sector, which had already undergone sharp contraction over the past year, will suffer additional culling as skittish punters transfer their action online.