Rivers Casino, Meadows Racetrack Set June 9 Reopening Date

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and the Meadows Racetrack & Casino were the first Pennsylvania gambling venues to announce a reopening date nearly three months after they were ordered to close in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rivers Casino said Wednesday in a statement on its parent company’s website that it would resume operations at 9 am Tuesday, June 9. The gambling venue will welcome guests from 9 am to 4 am on weekdays and will be open all night on weekends until 4 am on Mondays.

The casino said it will perform deep-cleaning during its closing hours to minimize the risks of having staff or guests exposed to the dangerous coronavirus.

Rivers Casino General Manager Bill Keena said Wednesday that they have already been working on making sure they are fully compliant with Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board protocols for casino reopenings.

The gambling regulator issued in May a 10-page document containing the minimum protocols for state-licensed casino operators to follow as they begin to reopen their properties.

Pennsylvania’s 12 land-based casinos and three racetracks will be able to resume operations only after the counties they are located in move into green phase. Under Gov. Tom Wolf’s three-phase reopening plan, which includes red, yellow, and green phases, the third, green, phase is when all restrictions can be lifted and non-essential businesses can reopen.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and the Meadows will be able to reopen next week as their host counties, Allegheny County and Washington County, respectively, are set to move into green phase on Friday.

When Will the Meadows Racetrack & Casino Reopen?

The Meadows said Wednesday that the facility will reopen at noon Tuesday, June 9. Property General Manager Tony Frabbiele said that they have been working closely with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, state and local leaders, as well as public health officials “to finalize comprehensive reopening protocols and new health and safety precautions.”

The racetrack’s General Manager also said that they will share more details of their “property-specific procedures” in advance of the planned Tuesday reopening.

Among the health and safety protocols set out by the state gambling regulator, casinos (just as other entertainment facilities) can only allow 50% occupancy.

The Gaming Control Board said last month that it “desires to assure that reopenings occur in a manner which promotes the safety of casino patrons and employees alike as well as assure an environment conducive to proper regulatory oversight.”

All casino patrons and staff members will be required to wear face masks, practice social distancing, and limit personal contact.

Casinos will have to be cleaned frequently and thoroughly. The facilities will have to install hand sanitizer stations at each entrance and throughout gaming floors.

The state’s gambling venues will also be required to implement methods to easily identify patrons and workers who have a fever or other symptom of illness and deny them access to the gaming floor.

There will be plexiglass partitions between slot machines and at table games. In addition, casinos will have to promote social distancing among gamblers by removing chairs from certain gaming machines or disabling machines.

Poker rooms will not be allowed to resume operations.

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