Public Gaming International May/June 2020

79 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2020 and play this game because the game's not even active, and so we will do that throughout the whole oor." At card tables, the number of seats will be reduced from six to three, he said. And say goodbye to the classic casino scene of a crowd cheering a winning streak. "Nobody will be able to be within 6 feet of any of the three customers that are playing," Rodio said. "You're certainly not face-to-face." At the heart of a nearly vacant Las Vegas Strip, Caesar's iconic palace stands empty. e hotel's doors are locked for the rst time in its storied 54-year history. e initiative at Caesars Palace is among at least four reopening plans unveiled so far by Las Vegas resort operators itching to serve tourists again while getting employees back to work, even as trade unions demand more transparency and the adoption of their own safety guidelines. Plans by MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts and e Venetian include potentially modifying HVAC systems, suspending bu et service and setting protocols for what to do if a coronavirus test comes back positive. While states begin to implement phased reopen- ing plans, the Nevada Gaming Commission is laying out its agenda to safely bring Sin City back from economic hell. e gaming control board on ursday released guidelines for reopening casino restaurants, but there's still no word on when the gaming can begin. e gaming oor at Caesars Palace casino sits quiet as executives pave the way for a safe revival amid the pandemic. e changes are being implemented as luck is running out for casino sta . Caesars Enter- tainment's says 90% of its 60,000 worldwide employees have been furloughed or laid o . New rules are a gamble in themselves With no reliable reservations on the books and few remaining sta on site, it's hard to imagine how future revelers and the army of workers who serves them will take to a new set of rules. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has repeat- edly called for the city's businesses to reopen but refused to provide guidelines on how they should do so safely. " ey better gure it out," she said last month, referring to business owners. " at's their job. at's not the mayor's job." roughout Caesars Palace, large red signs posted remind guests to remain 6 feet apart and encour- ages -- but doesn't require -- them to wear masks. Employees will be held to stricter requirements -- including masks during shifts and daily tempera- ture checks. " ey'll also be asked to complete a questionnaire before they returned to work for the rst time to see if they have anything that would lead us to want to get them tested," Rodio said. As for the Sisyphean task of sanitation, "we have more than enough decks of cards, so we'll be changing out the decks of cards a more fre- quently," Rodio said. e dice on craps tables will be cleaned after each roll, and the chips will be frequently sanitized, too, he said. For larger surfaces such as slot machines and elevator banks, employees will be equipped with electronic sprayers. Guests checking in to one of the 3,960 rooms will be able to use kiosks instead of the front desk, and cleaning sta will not enter rooms dur- ing guests' stay, Rodio said. For now, the steps being take a Caesars Palace are among the rst in an odyssey towards a new casino culture, one its leaders believe will retain the spirit of Las Vegas. Socially distant gambling debuts at Florida casino with glass barri- ers, temperature checks Gamblers got good news in Florida on ursday as one casino in the state reopened following the coronavirus closure. Masks or other face cover- ings are required and everybody entering the premises will get their temperature taken. Another noticeable adaptation to the coronavi- rus age is the use of plexiglass barriers to divide gamblers and dealers at poker and table games. Other new safety measures include: a 50 percent reduction in capacity at the resort, casino oor hand-sanitizing stations and the reduction of available slot machines to increase the distance between players. e technology is amazing. e scanner can e ectively read about six to eight people coming through the queue at one time. If one of those individuals indicates that their temperature is above the 100.4 (degrees recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control) then we polite- ly come up to them and say, “It appears you may have a slight fever.” We have a secondary private station where we use an individual hand-held unit to get a more individual reading. Patrons with a temperature above the CDC guideline will not be allowed to enter. Kansas Star Casino reopens Saturday with big changes State-owned casinos can o cially reopen. e Kansas Star Casino is welcoming people to get back in the game this weekend. “When they arrive on Saturday they can expect a disinfected and very clean property, with employees that are going to be welcoming and excited to see them,” said Je Babinski, Vice President and General Manager, Kansas Star Casino. Babinski said guests will notice big changes when they return. ey are requiring temperature checks at the door. Employees are required to wear masks. ey recommend guests wear one too. Over 120,000 single-use masks have been ordered for casino patrons to use. Patrons can only play slot machines. Every other one is disabled to help keep people apart. Table games and live poker will remain closed. Sta will sanitize high touch areas on a strict schedule. e hotel is open but all concerts and events have been postponed. Oklahoma's Osage Casino opens to line of people, hits capacity within an hour and a half Osage Casino opened its doors at 10 a.m. on a Friday in May, and by 11:30 it hit capacity. e Osage Casino in Tulsa was one of six Osage Nation casinos opening in May. ey’re only operating at 25% capacity, which is about 1250 people. ere was a continuous line through- out the day as people streamed into the casino. Many people said they were ne with standing in line because this was something they’d been waiting for. “It’s fantastic,” said Taylor. “I’m tired of being stuck inside all the time.” e parking lot was full, which surprised some. Casino o cials said they’re doing a couple of things to help keep people away from each other. Masks and gloves are available at the door. Casino o cials said they aren’t requiring them, but they’re encouraging people to wear them. ere are also hand sanitizer stations throughout the oor. Electronic games are up and running, but the middle machines have been shut-o so people won’t be sitting next to each other. O cials said table games are closed and will stay closed for the time being. Drinks are available, but the seated restaurants have not been opened yet. Missouri Gaming Commission allow casinos to reopen WORLD NEWS Withdrawal by Las Vegas Sands a major setback for Japan's casino efforts Las Vegas Sands Corp. is withdrawing from its quest to build an integrated casino resort – a major setback in Japan’s e orts to bring casino gambling to the country. e decision by Sands and its founder, bil- lionaire Sheldon Adelson, who is close to U.S. President Donald Trump, comes at a time when doubts are growing as to whether integrated re-