Ontario Casinos OK to Reopen as Early as Friday as COVID-19 Wanes
Great Canadian Gaming Corp. proclaimed on Mon it testament read the necessary sue to reopen 11 of their casinos inward Canada’s to the highest degree thickly settled responsibility this Friday.
This Friday, July 16, is the unexampled day of the month that Ontario will go into into Step Three of its COVID Reopening Plan. Previously, officials had said that the responsibility wouldn’t start that form until at least 21 days after entering Step Two, which the responsibility began on July 1.
Ontario Premier Doug John Ford said lowest Friday, July 9, that the province surpassed the benchmarks necessary to go in the next phase.
For casinos, that way they will live able to clear at 50 percent mental ability by the final stage of this week.
The expedited reopening date comes after representatives from the Canadian Gaming Association, subject tourism and hospitality officials, and Ontario municipal leaders called for the province to reopen casinos and other tourist attractions.
Casinos inward Ontario were among the shoemaker's last gaming facilities left hand closed in(p) inward the country. Some, such as Caesars Windsor and deuce casinos inwards Niagara, closed in(p) at the oncoming of the pandemic in March 2020 and have got remained that way since.
For to the highest degree of 2021, while US casinos enjoyed a strong reopening – still at rock-bottom capacities because of COVID-19 social distancing guidelines – their Canadian River counterparts for the to the highest degree component part remained closed, as the provinces did not feature the same get at to vaccines ahead of time in the year. That led to a prolonged moving ridge of cases that taxed hospitals and other wellness resources.
Great Canadian River CEO: Staff Displayed “Resilience”
The Great Canadian River venues that testament reopen this Fri are: Casino Woodbine, Great Blue Heron Casino, Casino Ajax, Elements Casino Mohawk, Elements Casino Flamboro, Elements Casino Brantford, Elements Casino Grand Rivers, Shorelines Casino Belleville, Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, and Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs.
Great Canadian Interim CEO Terrance Doyle said in a statement that the companionship is prepared to have thousands of workers payoff to their jobs.
I require to thank our total squad for their resilience and longanimity the in conclusion 17 months, and i look forrard to workings with our team up and welcoming our guests endorse to our Ontario properties,” Doyle said. “As we displace into the current leg of the provincial plan to reopen the economy, I’m eager to go along workings with tonality stakeholders on the next phase of reopening when it is deemed safe to come so.”
In Monday’s release, Great Canadian added that the Pickering Casino Resort will clear its gaming floor in the nigh future. Before the pandemic, it was slated to open inwards Apr 2020. While companionship officials said the casino will surface inward the shortsighted term, the repose of the resort’s amenities clear next year.
Great Canadian owns 14 properties inward Ontario. Two of those are rein in tracks. Georgian Downs is already unresolved and holding races, even though the bettors and spectators aren’t allowed to look out races at the Innisfill track. Flamboro Downs testament restart unrecorded racing in September. But for now, the Dundas venue remains shut as well.
The keep company also owns and operates casinos in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Windsor, Niagara River Casinos Planning Reopening
Great Canadian isn’t the only cassino manipulator in the province.
Casino Niagara, which on with Fallsview Casino Resort is owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. and operated past Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, tweeted Sun that the deuce properties “are reviewing the requirements” and testament foretell a reopening appointment in the close future.
Those ii casinos employ more than 4,000 people, George Burns said inward a military press group discussion utmost week.
Caesars Windsor, which operates crossways from Detroit, plans to urinate their reopening announcement as ahead of time as Tuesday.
Those tercet southern casinos, which sit down flat crosswise the US border, appeal more than 12 1000000 visitors annually, Burns said lowest week. About 25 percent amount from alfresco Ontario.