Industry Reports

British Columbia Equips Casinos with Extra Care

British Columbia’s casino venues are still closed but this does not mean preparation is not in progress for their eventual reopening. The gambling hotspots on a provincial might be the last on the list of businesses that will reopen with the permission of the government. The casino venues recently unveiled their preparation process.

All safety protocols will have to be implemented to the province when it comes to gambling operation and the activities usually taking place within a casino venue. British Columbia will be among the last provinces to greenlight casino operation and in-person gambling. Casino operators and management are still looking forward to this moment.

B.C. Casinos

Provinces to the likes of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Quebec have already greenlighted in-person gaming at both commercial and tribal casino hotspots and people have been enjoying these activities in a safe manner. All safety protocols have been implemented to some extent there. In the meantime, Ontario also greenlighted gambling operation.

The restrictions on the number of individuals making their way into a casino venue at all times is what prevents its industry from reopening. British Columbia, on the other hand, is still evaluating the situation and carefully setting the tone to its own gambling operation down the road. Back in the spring months, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry pointed out that the gaming halls and casinos might have to be reopened last, as they involve interaction with gaming machines, cards, and chips in the proximity of other people.

The government wants to see some changes when it comes to the gaming industry, as it has been in lockdown ever since mid-March. Casino workers associated with the hotspots also want to return to their daily work in the safest manner possible and now the casinos revealed the way this is going to happen in the upcoming months of operation. British Columbia Lottery Corporation is working on every single casino venue.

Safety Protocols

The new policies and changes affecting each and every hotspot will involve some rearrangement of the gaming floor. This includes some changes to the seating at slot machines, as well as table games, in order to promote physical distancing between the patrons making their way to the casino venues. In addition to that, Plexiglass screens are being installed across the casino floors wherever they might be needed.

This could make it easy for people to navigate the space and still protect themselves when physical distancing cannot be guaranteed. Casino patrons will also get the chance to use complementary hand sanitizer wherever they might be on the casino floor, as this will further protect them during their gaming activities. Along with that, the slot machines and gaming tables are also going to be disinfected after every player.

Card games are going to also be limited to the ones that include cards handling by the dealer only, in order to prevent any unwanted risk for the players. Paul Burns, president of the Canadian Gaming Association, recently pointed out that the casino field is hoping to see its return soon.