Indiana Casinos Accepts Patrons Next Week, Follows Coronavirus Plans

The reopening followed the move of other US states to allow non-essential businesses to operate despite the continuing threat of the pandemic.

Casinos in many US states resumed operations last week. Las Vegas Strip swarmed with people during the weekends as people looked for places to release pressure and stress. Few people visited the entertainment venues during the first days of the reopening, but things went well during the weekends.

Casinos in neighboring states obliged with industry regulators’ advice to resume business following hygiene and sanitary protocols. Casino stocks soared after the reopening of casinos in Las Vegas, as investors placed their bets on the reopening.

More and more casinos announced their schedules of reopening as state regulators loosen coronavirus preventive measures.

Safety plans to include social distancing

When Indianapolis mandated stay-at-home protocols in mid-March, the 13 licensed casinos in the area immediately shutdown.

Casinos are prone to spread the virus because many people gather to play games, and many items need to be passed from one person to another. For almost three months, the casinos remained closed, taking away jobs from employees and revenue of the gambling facility.

On Monday, Pokagon Bank of Potawatomi Indians announced to resume the business of its casino in South Bend, Indiana, as well as the three casinos in Michigan on June 15. Operators hoped to recover from the losses during the lockdowns. The casinos continued paying for employees’ wages and spent a considerable amount on overhead costs while in shutdown.

The gambling regulator mandated that safety plans should follow safety plans, including a 6-foot distance between gamblers in the casino floor. They need to limit the number of people during table games. Employees and guests are required to wear protective masks.

Indiana Gaming Commission Deputy Director Jennifer Reske ensured that the casinos have measures imposed that track the casino capacity throughout the day. The director said they restricted special events like parties and the likes that violate social distancing.

Casino brings people back to work, recover taxes

Gov. Eric Holcomb loosened the state restrictions in early May, allowing some businesses to resume operations. However, casinos remained shut down because they are not yet ready to accept guests. State officials reported that the shutdown placed more than 7,000 casino employees out of their jobs. The government also lost not less than $110 million in tax revenues in March, April, and May.

Government restrictions were lifted since prolonging the lockdowns might cause serious trouble to the states’ economy. Officials needed to choose between people’s health and a breaking economy. Many businesses resumed work in May, providing support to the state’s revenue.

The gambling industry is one of the largest stimulants of the states’ economic growth. The reopening is expected to boost the state’s revenue and bring many people back to work. Gamblers were eager to return to the casinos upon hearing their plans to reopen.

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