Louisiana casinos to reopen despite coronavirus as Mississippi waits in limbo
Casinos in Louisiana will be allowed to open this week during the coronavirus pandemic, Governor John Bel Edwards announced Monday in a press conference.
WVUE-TV reports that gambling floors can open on May 15 at 25% capacity with guidance from the state’s Gaming Control Board and the Louisiana Racing Commission.
Casinos won’t be able to until Monday, The Advocate reports, to give State Police and the Louisiana Gaming Control Board time to put the new regulations in place. Even then, the report says, it’s not clear how many will reopen.
Nola.com reports that stricter rules in New Orleans, which was hard-hit by the coronavirus, prevent the reopening of Harrah’s Casino or any video poker rooms.
Edwards laid out other rules for opening casinos in New Orleans and around the state, The Advertiser reported.
- There must be sanitation stations throughout the casino.
- Social distancing will be enforced.
Employees working near customers must wear face masks.
Mississippi has not yet reopened casinos. Thousands of workers on the Gulf Coast are out of work and waiting for casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport, D’Iberville, and Bay St. Louis to open their doors again.
On Tuesday Reeves said opening by Memorial Day has always been the goal, and said an announcement should come soon.
Gov. Tate Reeves initially said in a press conference that he expected casinos to reopen before Memorial Day.
But he backtracked, saying he did not know when casinos in the state would reopen again, after the state saw it’s highest-yet single-day spike on the day he had planned to announce more reopenings. Instead, he eased restrictions on restaurants and outdoor gatherings three days later.
Scarlet Pearl Casino has put some employees back to work by helping the state take and process unemployment claims.
— Sun Herald reporter Mary Perez contributed to this article.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 11:28 AM.
