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Casino Closings Due To Coronavirus

All U.S. casinos, including commercial and tribal, were shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now that gambling facilities can serve the public again, this map details any legal constraints placed on casinos by individual states. Some municipalities enforce even stricter regulations, and some private establishments may opt to implement their own even stricter rules. For specific questions about a casino's current state, guests should contact the establishment directly.

Review's Reason for Existence

As officials in the world's largest gaming hub try to suppress the deadliest coronavirus outbreak yet, Macau's casinos were closed for the first time in more than two years on Monday. In an extraordinary step to combat the virus, Macau's casinos were shut down for 15 days in February 2020.

For this reason, the government has been slow to shut down casinos. More than 80% of tax revenue comes from this sector, providing direct and indirect employment for nearly the entire population.

Since the government mandated that everyone works from home, the casinos have been closed down in all but name for the past few weeks.

Gaming income is not expected to rebound until the third or fourth quarter, according to analysts. Thus, the suspension may be extended for a few more weeks.

Recent Research

The bulk of the 17 publications that met the inclusion criteria presented cross-sectional evaluations, while the remaining were longitudinal in that they had access to individuals' prior gambling data. Gambling frequency and expenditure decreased across the board, which is not surprising considering the elimination of land-based gambling. The estimated percentage of the general and gaming populations that increased their gambling in general or online was inconsistent. Worsening gambling problems, being younger, and being male all consistently predicted more gambling during the lockdown.

A gaming triumph until the end of September 2020

Losses in the gambling sector have skyrocketed because of the pandemic.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Centre for Gaming Research reports that through the first 10 months of the year, commercial casinos won $21.6 billion, down 36.5% compared to the same period in 2019. September's $3.3 billion in gaming income, including an online casino and online/mobile sports betting that some states are using to save their industries, was down 13.7% yearly.

Since commercial casino win dropped by nearly 100% in April, this month's fall of 13.7% was the greatest performance since then. Although things had been looking up when retail casinos began opening again, that improvement would likely stall due to the most recent round of closures. Some jurisdictions, like Nevada, have mandated further reductions in casino capacity, postponing a complete shutdown until further notice. That it's just postponing the inevitable, say its detractors.

Through September, gamblers in Nevada's casinos and through their mobile sports betting apps brought in over $5.6 billion, down 38% from the same nine-month period in 2017. A national average drop of 36.5% was exceeded by this fall. Up until September, 26% of all victories in the United States came from the state of Nevada. About 26.5 percent of all gambling winnings in the United States came from Nevada casinos in 2019.

Tribal casinos, which before the pandemic won around $30 billion from gamblers yearly, generate about two-thirds as much as commercial casinos, but no official statistics are available.

Following the discovery of fresh cases of Covid in Macau, the Oceanus Casino was forced to close.

Macau casino operator SJM Holdings Ltd's self-promoted venue Casino Oceanus near the city's Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal ceased operations on Tuesday, according to a notice (shown) posted outside the building. The letter, written in Chinese, informed customers that they should visit the neighbouring Casino Jai Alai location, which is also licenced by SJM Holdings, but did not specify why or for how long the suspension would stay.

GGRAsia contacted the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, the city's casino regulator, to explain Casino Oceanus's closure. The Macao government has been holding daily media briefings to update the public on the status of the Covid-19 situation in the region, and the Gaming Bureau has recommended that GGRAsia keep up with the most recent one.

At a briefing held on Tuesday by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, health official Leong Iek Hou said that case 72 had been gambling at Casino Oceanus before his or her condition was confirmed on Monday.

Casino Oceanus was on his itinerary on September 28, September 30, and October 2, according to the government's public activity log for that case. The activity log also revealed that on October 3, he had visited the stores of the Venetian Macao Resort, which is owned and managed by Sands China Ltd and located on Cotai. For the briefing on Tuesday, Ms. Leong said, "Case number 72 had been to Casino Oceanus.

Taking this into account, we have scheduled today's comprehensive disinfection of the site by IAM.

For the Time Being, the Chicken Ranch Casino Will Be CLOSED

The Chicken Ranch Casino is temporarily closed owing to the COVID-19 outbreak, as announced by the tribal leaders of the Chicken Ranch Rancheria Me-Wuk Indians. This month-long closure will begin at noon on Monday, March 16, and run through the rest of the month.

As Tribal Chairman Lloyd Mathiesen put it, "the health and well-being of our Guests, Team Members, Tribal Members, local Community, and the State of California are our primary focus." Even though there have been no confirmed instances in Tuolumne County as of yet, we still feel that temporarily closing is the best way to serve the public at this time.

Team members will continue to be compensated for their work, and we will keep the public updated on any developments on when we could reopen or whether we will need to extend the closure.

The Rivers Casino has been forced to close out of an abundance of caution over the coronavirus.

Rivers Casino, located on Pittsburgh's North Side, will be closed for the next two weeks.

Around 9 o'clock on Friday night, the casino announced that it would be closing for 14 days beginning at midnight on Sunday. This will begin on Sunday night and last into Monday morning.

No cases of covid-19 have been reported at the casino, but "out of an abundance of caution" and to "encourage the social separation" recommended by health professionals, the casino stated in a statement.

The firm has promised to keep paying workers normally even though the casino will be shuttered. The casino has pledged to keep tabs on developing news about the coronavirus outbreak.

The casino has announced that it will close to the public for a short period but will still require select employees' services.

A representative for the Pennsylvania State Gaming Commission, Richard McGarvey, said that the Rivers Casino is the third in the state to close due to the coronavirus temporarily. McGarvey added that the Valley Forge casino had closed on Friday and that Harrah's in Philadelphia would be closing this weekend.

All scheduled performances and live activities at the Meadows Casino in North Strabane, Washington County, have been postponed or canceled.

Owner of the Meadows Casino, Penn National Gaming, which operates 19 casinos total, said that it has discontinued or is in the process of discontinuing buffet service at all of its properties.

The casino has expanded the number of hand-sanitizing stations on the gaming floor and in back-of-house common spaces. They have also made hand wipes available for self-service sanitation of surfaces to contain the infection.

Richard McGarvey, a spokesperson for the state gaming commission, could not be reached for comment on the condition of other casinos as of late Friday night.

Covid has shut down gaming establishments in Manila.

To address the rise in Covid-19 cases, casinos in Manila have been ordered to close by January 15.

Authorities in the Philippine capital have raised the alert level to Level 3 in response to a dramatic increase in infections, including the first locally reported cases of the Omicron type.

Although certain businesses may continue operations at level 3, albeit at reduced capacity, casinos are not included in this category and will be forced to close.

"The epidemiological study into the three local cases indicates that there is a high likelihood of local Omicron transmission. Active," Acting President's Spokesperson Karlo Nograles was quoted as saying by the Asia Gaming Brief.

Casinos in Manila are Having a Rough Go of It

The 'Entertainment City' complex in Manila is a well-known gambling destination, and it is home to numerous large casinos, including the Solaire Resort and Casino, Manila Dream City, and Okada Manila. Authorities in Manila have tightened restrictions in response to the detection of the first three local cases of the Omicron type. Still, the rest of the Philippines will remain at tier 2.

Temporary closure of Thunder Valley casino due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Thunder Valley Casino Resort would temporarily cease operations to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The last day of operation is Friday, so the shutdown can begin. There is currently no planned reopening date.

In a prepared statement, Tribal Chairman Gene Whitehouse said, "These are extraordinary times, and our industry's first responsibility must be to preserve the welfare of our visitors, employees, and neighboring communities." We have been keeping a careful eye on the developing situation, and this is the greatest course of action we can take to stem the tide of this pandemic, we feel.

Until Tuesday, the resort claimed that neither its visitors nor employees had tested positive for COVID-19. The Tribal Council has assured its workers that they will maintain access to medical coverage.

The shutdown is a response to new, stricter CDC recommendations for mass gatherings, which were released on Monday.

As a result of the coronavirus epidemic, several casinos across the country have closed their doors. The weekend saw the closure of Cache Creek Casino Resort.

Casinos in the Valley are starting to shut down because of the coronavirus.

Several Valley hotels and casino resorts have declared temporary closures as the severity of the coronavirus outbreak has become more apparent.

The Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva hotels and casinos owned by Gila River Hotels & Casinos have all been shut down. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's enterprise arm, which oversaw Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, also shut down.

Gila River Hotels & Casinos announced earlier in the week that it would keep its two facilities near Chandler and one near Laveen open during the coronavirus pandemic. The company said it would do so by increasing the availability of hand sanitizer and improving its cleaning procedures and protocols.

Identical precautions were taken at the nearby Talking Stick and Casino Arizona. But on Tuesday night, both businesses decided to shut down for at least two weeks.

All five venues have previously postponed or canceled concerts and other large-scale events.

The full shutdown began at 4 a.m. on Wednesday and will last for two weeks. Throughout the closure, both companies have promised to examine the situation.

These are the first major resorts in the Phoenix area to close in an effort to contain the new coronavirus COVID-19. Earlier this week, Las Vegas's largest hotels and casinos ceased operations.

Kenneth Manuel, CEO of Gila River Hotels & Casinos, stated in a statement, "As a gaming and hospitality leader in Arizona, we believed it was in everyone's best interest to be proactive and close our hotels and casinos to do our part to prevent the spread of the coronavirus." Despite the fact that no confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been found at any Gila River Hotels & Casinos location as of today, we felt it was the morally right thing to do to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.

The mayor of Phoenix has mandated that all eating and drinking establishments in the city switch to takeout and delivery only, but no similar order has been issued for hotels, motels, and resorts.

Considering the widespread closure of other hotels, casinos, and entertainment venues in the Valley due to the coronavirus, it seems certain that more establishments in the area will follow suit.

Conclusion

These findings imply that the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on gambling and problematic gambling are multifaceted, with some people experiencing a reduction in gambling problems and others experiencing a rise. Further follow-up research is needed to determine the long-term effects of the overall decline in gambling and the rise in gambling among some at-risk populations. While this is a long-term goal, it is important to understand that those who already have gambling problems are particularly at risk in the present.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

1. What if my slot machine cash-out voucher expires while the casino temporarily closes?

If your slot machine cash-out voucher's expiration date falls during Casino Arizona's temporary shutdown, don't worry; we'll extend it by 30 days. Go by the Cage if you have time to kill once the casino reopens.

2. What happens to my offers while you are closed?

We know that your offers may become invalid during this time of temporary shutdown. As information about potential postponements of deals becomes available, we'll post it on our COVID-19 Updates page.

3. How will I be able to access my win/loss statements?

You can still access your win/loss statements online with your Boarding Pass account at Station Casinos.

4. What happens to my Boarding Pass Players Card while you’re closed?

Boarding Pass points that have already expired or are set to expire between March 17, 2020, and December 31, 2020, will have their expiration dates extended. Furthermore, your card's tier status as of March 17 will stay constant through December 31, 2020.