As reported by many different local news outlets, the government for the southern state of Louisiana has allowed twenty-three casinos that operate within the state’s borders to re-pen from the 18th of May. The gambling-friendly venues in the state closed down their doors to the public back on the 17th of March in response to the still ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As of the 18th of May, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic of COVID-19 resulted in over 315,000 deaths and more than 4.7 million cases in over one hundred and eighty-eight countries.
The coronavirus outbreak was first recorded in late December of last year in the city of Wuhan, China, while it was classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of March. The virus is spread between individuals who have been in close contact usually via small sneezing and couching-produced droplets. Less commonly, individuals can become infected by touching surfaces that have been contaminated. Some of the most common symptoms are very similar to flu and they include shortness of breath, coughing, loss of smell, and fatigue.
The Fifth Most Profitable Casino Market in the USA
When it comes to the casino market in the state of Louisiana, some of the state’s most popular gambling-friendly venues include Harrah’s New Orleans, Boomtown Casino, Margaritaville Resort Casino, Golden Nugget Casino, Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, Horseshoe Casino, and Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles. According to one report released by Bloomberg, the state of Louisiana has the fifth most profitable, most lucrative casino market in the USA closely following New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.
According to the state’s government, the decision to allow the state’s twenty-three casinos to open their doors after two months of being shut down came just in time to help this sector bounce back from those financially devastating consequences related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, this move will also serve as one of the most important tests regarding this industry’s ability to protect everyone involved including guests, visitors, and workforces at such gambling-friendly venues.
Louisiana Casinos and New Social Distancing and Safety Measures
According to the same news service, the Bloomberg news outlet, Louisiana casinos which open their doors to the visitors will have to follow a strict collection of safety measures and other rules. According to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board and its Chairman Ronnie Jones, the state’s casinos are required to gain the necessary permission from their local law enforcement departments before they officially open their doors to the public.
Moreover, the casinos also have to abide by new safety and social distancing measures which include wearing protective gloves and face masks by all employees. These measures also include the regular cleaning of surfaces which are high-traffic such as screens of slot machines, elevator buttons, and door handles.
As previously mentioned, the state of Louisiana is home to over twenty gambling-friendly facilities including twenty commercial casinos as well as three tribal venues. These together recorded gross gaming revenues of around $2.5 billion for the year of 2018 while similar numbers were recorded in 2019 as well. When it comes to the government’s decision to allow Louisiana casinos to re-open after two months, the state is the very first of the USA’s big casino gaming markets to allow re-opening following the coronavirus pandemic. Before Louisiana casinos, several tribal venues across the smaller markets of South Dakota, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Washington have already opened their doors with more to follow the same steps in the following days and weeks.
