Pa Casinos Reopening
Pennsylvania casinos can't reopen yet, but the state's gaming regulators have disclosed the minimum requirements gambling halls will be required to follow whenever they are allowed to resume business. One of those, the Valley Forge Casino Resort, is awaiting word in Pennsylvania on when it can reopen. Boyd figures on 99% consistency among procedures. Boyd already has casinos open again in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kansas, with nine set to reopen next week in Nevada. According to the press release by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the closing is temporary however there is no specific indication of when reopening will occur. The casinos that are.
, 2020 - 03:36pm@loumonacoWelcome back Pennsylvania casinos and sportsbooks!
Governor Tom Wolf and the state’s Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced Wednesday that the time-limited orders written back on December 12 will expire on Monday, January 4, at 8 a.m. ET as planned.
“Our mitigation efforts over the past several weeks are working, and I thank everyone who abided by the restrictions put in place to protect us,” Wolf said. “Every time we make a small decision to avoid risk – or take steps to make our actions a little bit less risky – we are helping to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
“At this time, my intention is to allow the time-limited mitigation orders that went into effect on December 12 to expire as planned on January 4.”
RELATED:Pennsylvania Closes Casinos Until January 4 To Help Curb COVID
With the expiration of the time-limited orders, mitigation efforts will revert to mitigation orders in place on December 11. That means: Pennsylvania casinos can reopen at 50% occupancy; self-certified restaurants may open at 50% capacity for indoor dining – restaurants that have not self-certified are at 25% capacity for indoor dining; on-premises alcohol consumption is prohibited unless part of a meal; cocktails-to-go and carryout beverages are allowed; serving alcohol for on-site consumption must end at 11 p.m. ET, and all alcoholic beverages must be removed from patrons by midnight.
All COVID-19 safety protocols will continue to be followed, and the out-of-state testing requirement will still be in place.
CHECK OUT:The Top US Online Casinos
PA Casinos That Can Reopen January 4
The 12 casinos that can re-open on Monday are:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Lady Luck Nemacolin
- Live! Casino Pittsburgh
- Meadows Casino and Racetrack
- Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre
- Mount Airy Casino Resort
- Parx Casino in Bensalem
- Presque Isle Racetrack and Casino
- Rivers Pittsburgh
- Valley Forge Casino and Resort
- Wind Creek Bethlehem, which opened its first sportsbook powered by Betfred last month
Rivers Casino Philadelphia (the only casino within the city limits) and South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook, which both closed on Nov. 20, will remain closed until at least Tuesday, Jan. 15, under current restrictions by Philadelphia to slow COVID-19 cases.
The first casino shutdown took place on March 17 when all 13 casinos were closed at the start of the pandemic. The lockdown lasted for 126 days, until July 17, when Rivers Casino Philadelphia resumed operations.
RELATED:Pennsylvania November Sports Betting Handle Down 6.4%
Coming off an October state record for monthly sports wagering handle, Pennsylvania saw a 6.4% decrease in November. The $491.9 million in total handle, with bets placed both online (91%) and at retail books, was down from October’s $525.8 million.
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sharetweetcopy linkLink copied!WRITTEN BY@loumonacoLou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.... Read MoreLou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.... Read MoreARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE
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Opening once more
A number of Pennsylvania casinos have announced their plans to reopen following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the state.
All commercial casinos in the state had to close their operations on December 12 in an effort to curb rising virus cases. The lone Philadelphia casino had to close on November 20 because of a high incidence rate of the virus in the city at the time.
current restrictions will expire on January 4 at 8am
Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced on Wednesday that the current restrictions will expire on January 4 at 8am.
Some of the commercial casinos to already announce that they plan to reopen on Monday include Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and Penn National Gaming’s Meadows Casino and Racetrack in Washington County and Hollywood Casino at the Penn National Race Course in Dauphin County.
Safety protocols in place
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh will be open 24/7, with restricted hours for indoor dining and a maximum capacity of 50% across the property. There will be no alcohol served in the sportsbook or on the casino floor. The poker room will also reopen, albeit with curtailed hours. Nearly 1,100 employees will be able to get back to work because of the casino reopening.
The regular COVID-19 health and safety protocols will remain in place, such as mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, and temperature checks for staff and patrons.
Penn National Gaming has already agreed to continue live racing in the state through January, provided it achieves break-even pari-mutuel handle.
An improving situation
According to Governor Wolf’s announcement on Wednesday, virus cases have been declining in Pennsylvania, leading to a pulling back of restrictions. He said: “Our mitigation efforts over the past several weeks are working, and I thank everyone who abided by the restrictions put in place to protect us.”
Commercial casino executives in the state had sent a letter to the governor the day before the announcement of the December restrictions, pleading with Governor Wolf to keep casinos open.
The letter referred to the $1.5bn in tax revenue that the casinos generate in the Keystone State, as well as the local investment of $500m annually. Sports betting, casino games, and poker were all available online to state residents during the closure of land-based facilities.