U.S. Casino Industry Slowly Starts To Announce Reopening DatesDeadwood Casinos To Open Thursday And Indiana Eyes June 14 Start Date |
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An Idaho tribal casino became one of the first U.S. brick-and-mortar gambling operations to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, commercial casinos around the country are starting to follow suit and announce opening dates of their own.
The Deadwood City Commission approved an ordinance that would allow the historic South Dakota mining town to reopen its casinos Thursday morning. According to local media, the Silverado-Franklin, Cadillac Jack’s and the Deadwood Mountain Grand are expected to open Thursday, while the other casinos in town will slowly reopen as they see fit.
The ordinance dictates that businesses must comply with all federal and state guidelines regarding social distancing measures and other regulations to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Deadwood’s government relies heavily on tax revenue from the gambling industry, making it no surprise the region will be one of the first to reopen. In the 2019 fiscal year, Deadwood casinos paid just shy of $15.3 million in taxes. They have been closed since March 25.
Last Friday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb released his five-stage road map to reopen the Hoosier State’s economy. His plan allows casinos to reopen in the fourth stage of his plan but will only allow properties to operate at 50 percent capacity at the start of stage four.
Stage four begins June 14, which is when Horseshoe Hammond announced it will reopen its doors. Caesars did not make any mention of what types of restrictions will be in place, but it will likely include several social distancing measures and enhanced cleaning techniques that will be essential to casino operations nationwide for the foreseeable future.
Horseshoe Hammond was the only casino to announce its planned reopening, but others will likely join the trend and make the announcement in the near future.
Holcomb’s plan has all restrictions lifted by stage five, which falls on the weekend of July 4, at which point, casinos will be operating at full capacity. That all could change with new data as Holcomb is giving local governments the ability to keep casinos closed longer if they deem it necessary.
In one of the hotspots of the pandemic, Washington, several tribal casinos have started the reopening process. According to the Seattle Times, 22 tribes operate casinos on tribal lands, which means that they have final say and Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order does not apply to them.
The Angel of the Winds Casino Resort, run by the Stillaguamish tribe, is scheduled to open May 13, while the Kalispel tribe opened its casino yesterday.
The Stillaguamish tribe will implement strict measures to keep its customers safe. They will require a temperature check of every person before entering the casino, everybody is required to wear a mask and they have made the casino smoke-free since the virus affects the respiratory system.
One Florida poker room, however, has backed off its scheduled reopening. Derby Lane, a greyhound race track and poker room in St. Petersburg, Florida, announced it would resume its poker operations on May 11.
Tuesday afternoon, however, the company announced that the poker room will not be opening as scheduled and will remain closed. Another date was not given, but according to a press release, the poker room will adhere to all CDC guidelines.
The country’s biggest gaming market, Las Vegas, still does not have a date announced for when its casinos will begin to reopen. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, however, has laid out some guidelines for operations when one is set.
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