Casinos Post Covid-19....is it safe?

My readers are encouraged to make their own decisions and listen to guidelines set out by local & federal agencies and the CDC.

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Casinos have now been closed for over a month and signs are showing that they will soon come alive again once more. But when those doors swing open, how many of us will actually go, and is it safe?

Every casino has their ideas of how their casino floors will look. Here is a sample of what you can expect at some:

• face masks and gloves either available or mandatory
• every other slot machine turned off, or every other seat removed from table games to encourage physical distancing at 6ft+
• temperature checks at entry (100.4 and above being turned away or sent to a doctor)
• an abundance of cleaning of every surface you can imagine, by more cleaners and regular staff
• hand sanitizer or wipes at the ready
• closure of buffets, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, event spaces, reward desks etc
• hotel guests provided their own cleaning products for rooms
• barriers at tables between dealer and guests, or even between slot machines
• zero or limited contact with playing cards, dice, and no cutting the shoe

So when will they open? Most casinos are waiting patiently on orders by governors. That includes many native casinos on reservation land, even though they are free to open at their leisure. Most casinos have given 'closed until' dates, rather that 're-opening dates'. Here's a quick rundown at the most popular casino areas from what I've seen:

Nevada / Las Vegas - Most likely a June 1 opening, however some casinos are taking earlier hotel bookings for Memorial Weekend. 
Mississippi - Hoping to open prior to Memorial Weekend. 
California - Multiple casinos have announced reopenings, but San Manuel is closed until at least end of May. 
Washington - Several casinos are open or reopening soon.
New Jersey / New York - Looks like they're closed until the very least. June 1, however I see that going longer. 
Connecticut - Closed until at least mid May
Michigan - Island Casino is looking to open on May 16th. Commercial casinos are closed until at least May 28th.
Oklahoma - Some casinos have already reopened with more anticipated soon.
Colorado - No dates set yet, but this site provides updates.

TODAY however, marks the first day that a major casino in the US welcomes the public to play. Coeur D'Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho started opening up other areas of the casino days ago and is now ready for gamblers to arrive. You can imagine this was not a decision taken lightly. 

In their words, "Enhanced safety measures will be in place including physical distancing, aggressive cleaning and sanitation guidelines, and mandatory face-covering protocols to protect the health and safety of all patrons and employees." 

That's definitely a great start, but as was mentioned in a recent webinar I attended called 'Managing Your Property Reopening – The New Reality of the Slot Floor', led by Az Husein of Casino Science, casino staff will now become the floor police to try and enforce such policies. They didn't sign up for the job, but it's been virtually assigned.

On the panel was Jason Fiege, CEO of nQube. He displayed many scientific mock ups showing different scenarios of how casinos could handle traffic on the floor, and how expanding the number of cleaners on the floor could impact the amount of exposure and transmission. In a nutshell, his theory was that social distancing, as opposed to closing sections, was the best method. And that although increasing the amount of cleaners to an exuberant amount would help, it would still not stop the spread of a virus. In fact, in the case that a cleaner would be infected, it would spread much quicker. 

So now that I've scared you with that delightful tidbit, just remember this. How do you contract Covid-19? Through the eyes, mouth and nose. The average person touches their face a few dozen times AN HOUR. Get out of the habit of touching your face (easier said than done, I know). The best method of safety is found within ourselves. Wash your hands. Often. Soap and water is your friend. When that is not available, hand sanitizer is the next best bet. For the best method as outlined by CDC, please scroll to end of blog. 

How does this impact Brian Christopher and BCSlots.com? As a casino influencer, it is my job to showcase casinos and slots. I almost feel like I'm turning into a casino reporter. As casinos re-open, I am making it my duty to present what the casinos are doing to protect the public. I truly want to support all casinos and staff. As such, I have reached out to dozens of casinos, offering to travel out to them and live stream my findings to you all (and slot play of course), once it's safe to do so. For now, I will be doing this solo to follow social physical distancing, while wearing a mask and taking extra sanitary precautions. I will also not be announcing these trips in advance as I do not wish to attract crowds and therefore ask that you not travel just to meet me during this time. It will be weird not interacting with you all, and going live with a mask - but I know that this is temporary. As an added perk, all Superchat donations I receive in May will be donated to the hard working and deserving casino staff at locations where I'm going live. Should you hear any updates with EXACT dates of re-openings, please do let me know!

This time has been super hard on everyone, and I promise casinos and my fans that I am there for you and we will get through this together. Whether you agree with everything casinos and the country is doing, or you think this whole thing is blown out of proportion, just keep in mind that it is temporary and that it's better to go too far, than not far enough. And casinos being extra clean 'aint a bad perk either! Gotta think positive.

I also want to give Angel of the Winds Casino props for taking this opportunity while closed to turn their casino into a non-smoking establishment. With health and safety supposedly being top priority for all right now, it's the perfect time. 82% of Americans are non-smokers, so if casinos really want to put our health first, follow suit ♥️♣️♦️♠️.

Have your say and congratulate them on my twitter post!

Virtual Hugs and Windex to you all, 

Brian ❤️ xoxo


US Casino Openings: 

Dates are subject to change at any time. We will continue to update this list as much as possible. If you see a CONFIRMED reopening date on a casino's website or social media, please forward a link to the announcement to [email protected]

Open Now  (alphabetical) 
The American Gaming Association has an interactive map of all casinos that have reopened - currently more than 180 locations! Click the link to search your area.
https://www.americangaming.org/research/covid-19-casino-tracker/


June 1
Beau Rivage, Mississippi
Bucky's Casino, Arizona
Choctaw, Oklahoma
Chuckansi Gold, California
Cliff Castle, Arizona  **Reopening with Slots Smoke Free!
Delaware Casinos
Firekeepers, Michigan
Fortune Bay, Minnesota   **Reopening Smoke Free!
Foxwoods, Connecticut  (local guests only)
​Kewadin Casinos, Michigan
Kings Club Casino, Michigan
Missouri Casinos
Mohegan Sun, Connecticut  (local guests only)  *Reopening Smoke Free!
Pechanga, California 
Red Hawk, California
Snoqualmie, Washington  (invite only)
Saganing Eagles Landing, Michigan   **Reopening Smoke Free!
Soaring Eagle, Michigan   **Reopening Smoke Free!
Talking Stick, Arizona
Yavapai Casino, Arizona

June 4
Nevada Casinos  (with reopening plans approved by gaming commission)

June 5
Desert Diamond Casinos, Arizona
West Virginia Casinos

June 8
Thunder Valley, California

June 10
Point Place, New York  (local guests only)
Turning Stone, New York  (local guests only)
Yellow Brick Road, New York  (local guests only)

June 15
Four Winds, Michigan **Reopening Smoke Free!
​Indiana Casinos  (earliest - still pending approval)

June 29
Massachusetts Casinos (pending approval)

July 4
Atlantic City, New Jersey  (target date - not confirmed)

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​Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.


The CDC recommends the following on their website:

Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

How to use hand sanitizer

• Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
• Rub your hands together.
• Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

​- CDC