B.C.’s casinos have been closed since March 2020 but with the province’s COVID-19 restart plan now in motion, the B.C. Lottery Corporation said it is excited to start planning for the safe reopening of casinos and community gaming centres.
They could open as early as July 1, which would be part of Stage 3 and contingent upon 70 per cent of British Columbians being vaccinated with a single dose.
When the facilities do reopen, the BCLC said a number of changes will be made to keep visitors and staff safe.
There will be at least two metres of space between table games, slot machines and other gambling equipment.
Physical barriers will be used where physical distancing is not possible or where casino employees must interact with players.
There will be limits as to how many people can be in the casino at a time, including occupancy for restaurants and lounges.
In addition, table games will be adjusted to those in which cards can be dealt face up as players will not be allowed to touch cards with the exception of Squeeze Baccarat, which utilizes one-time use cards.
More details will be released as B.C.’s restart plan continues.