Casinos plan grand re-opening but under scientists’ watchful eyes

As Las Vegas, Macau and Monte Carlo look set to allow their biggest casinos to open their doors after the extended period of lockdown, all eyes are on the government and scientific guidelines to ensure that everything is done in the safest and most educated fashion. Whilst veteran online casinos and leading mobile casinos apps have enjoyed an almost unrivaled period of gains thanks to people being unable to go out of their houses, the allure of the brick and mortars will indubitably drive gamblers and travel-fanatics back to these powerhouses of industry. With that in mind however, just what advice are the government and leading scientific researchers giving to the casinos (and most businesses) to ensure that they can open their doors for good, without having to re-enter a stage of lockdown again.

PPE/Masks:

Whilst this may seem obvious to most and even become the new ‘normal’ in terms of social interaction, many leading researchers around the world are advocating that people wear masks. For the casinos, this will be especially important for their croupiers, staff and employees to keep them safe and also because the likelihood of crowds trying to flock to the tables and celebrate in the wins of those doing well means that people will be hard-pressed to follow the recommended 2m distancing rule.

Sanitize Everything:

When someone leaves a machine, a new deck of cards are opened, dice are handled by a guest or someone finishes their plate of food – sanitizer will be needed. The advice from the government and scientists is to be overcautious as germs can live on surfaces for hours – meaning that without proper adherence to a strict cleaning regime – the risk of someone catching something is heightened dramatically. The only bottleneck here will be the accessibility for some of the smaller businesses to acquire the amount they would need to do this.

Separate People:

While the image of throngs of people gathered round a table or celebrating a Jackpot win on a slot machine are commonplace when you think of the likes of Sin City and major gambling destinations, scientists have long been pushing that separation and careful mixing are a must to keep the R-number down. Many of the casinos have been advised on crowd control and placing direction flows on the floor to ensure people don’t get too close, but the casinos themselves have also taken an initiative here. Plexiglass screens, much like those being installed at local supermarkets, are going to be used to separate the dealers from the customers and also between machines to help people separate effectively.

Temperate Checks:

While this hasn’t yet been confirmed, as scientists strive to find a cure or marker to end the current crisis, one of the major flags has been a spike in body temperature for almost all common illnesses. Just like airports have installed body scanners, these could also be used in casinos to stop unwell visitors coming in and also to minimize the risk that when people fail to obey social distancing or the floor markings from catching something. 

While scientists and governments continue to discuss preventative and combative measures to ensure the safe opening of many large enterprises and buildings, the casino industry is doing its’ best to confer with the decision makers and abide by all suggested practices to prevent a second spike that would cause a devastating blow to their revenues and even their futures.