The vast majority of tribal casinos operating in the state of California shut down their operations recently due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which is present in over two hundred countries globally. The casinos in the state closed as part of the state of California measures that have been implemented in order to combat the spread of the highly-contagious, potentially-deadly coronavirus pandemic.
As expected, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic had negatively affected all industries as well as all companies and casino operators are not excluded. When it comes to tribal casinos in the state of California, the venues could potentially face extreme financial costs if they are not allowed to resume their operations before June. According to one report released by The Desert Sun news outlet, this is shared by General Manager for Augustine Casino, Jef Bauer who said that the costs related to re-opening California casinos will be enormous especially when associated with the costs of reviving these facilities.
California Tribal Casinos Closed Since the 15th of March
The same newspaper reported that tribal casinos in the state of California started shutting down their doors to the public since the 15th of March in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Some of these tribal casinos that are not operational today are the Red Earth Casino venue of Imperial County that is owned and operated by the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians federally-recognized tribe. This facility became one of the latest in southern California to shut down its doors.
This move came shortly after the state’s Governor Mr. Newsome began imploring residents of the state of California to stay at home unless unnecessarily. At the same time, the state’s Governor has not given any indication regarding when this quarantine measures may be lifted. The Desert Sun news outlet also reported that the Augustine Casino venue owned and operated by the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians federally-recognized tribe is not operational as well.
Crippling Re-Opening Costs
The facility is packed with eight hundred slot machines. It is located on the tribe’s six hundred and forty-acre tribal land situated in Riverside County’s Coachella city. General Manager for this California tribal casino Jef Bauer declared in one of his latest official press releases that the overall process of opening the Augustine Casino venue as well as other facilities of this size in the area will doubtlessly involve all sorts of costs.
Some of these costs which these venues would not have in normal circumstances include hiring charges and marketing costs. In his words, the costs will be rather crippling for these tribal operators if the situation does not get under control soon and if these venues are not allowed to re-open soon. He also told The Desert Sun newspaper that many aboriginal casinos in the state of California are also very likely to face many months and even years of rather decreased business once the pandemic threat is no longer present.
In his opinion, some of the major obstacles and challenges which casino operators cannot avoid come face to face with health-related anxieties, reductions in workforces and similar. All in all, many of the California casinos have pledged to continue investing in staff wages as well as providing staff benefits during the shutdown and one of those venues is Augustine Casino.
