Casino Rama remains the only casino location in Ontario that has not reopened for in-person gambling ever since March and its situation might remain the same. Despite previous reopening plans, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment recently made it clear that the overall provincial situation would not make this possible for the foreseeable future.
On a provincial level, the situation remains dynamically changing and new health recommendations have shaken Ontarioās industries over the past few days. The government made it clear that indoor gatherings should become smaller if local businesses want to protect their patrons and customers. Some casinos have decided to close for operation, as continuing daily work could harm them down the road.
Gateway Casinos
Casino Rama had some plans to welcome back individuals interested in gambling in-person for the first time in months. The popular gaming location also known as the largest tribal casino resort in Ontario was preparing for the official reopening of its gaming facilities with some special measures and restrictions placed for patrons and staff protection. Rama First Nation Chief Ted Williams was the individual to tell the good news.
He said last week that the tribal casino location overseen by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment has been working on its safe reopening. The official welcoming of casino patrons was expected to happen in the upcoming week or ten days, depending on the overall pace of preparation. However, this might not be the case after all, as the casino operator issued its own announcement at the beginning of this week.
The situation is dynamically changing and the casino leader has to respect the recommendations coming from Ontarioās government. This means that Casino Rama will not be able to relaunch daily work as previously planned. Such a clarification was needed, as more communities in Ontario have moved into further restrictions impacting all kinds of businesses, including the gambling one.
Uncertain Situation
Gateway Casinos further clarified that a reopening has not been completely scrapped and it will happen when the time is right and the situation on a provincial scale is more favorable. For the casino operator, the additional restrictions introduced over the past couple of days will make a potential reopening unsustainable. Daily work is projected to harm Gateway Casinos’ financial state more than the closure already does.
The plans for action Casino Rama issued last week included an invitation-only daily operation, inviting loyal casino patrons to make their way there and support their favorite gambling venue during these trying times. This meant that the number of patrons allowed to gamble in-person was already going to be limited. Now it is clear that this would not be enough for the casino operator to keep Casino Ramaās daily work afloat.
The proposed operation was going to be limited too. No table games would have been available, as this gaming activity does not promote physical distance between the patrons engaging in it. Slot machines were going to be the main attraction during this first phase of the reopening. Food or beverage services were also out of the picture.
