Players at British Columbia casinos won’t be able to play their cards close to the vest. In fact, they won’t be able to play any kind of card games that require the actual touching of cards.
Only card games in which cards are dealt face-up will be permitted. But for patrons who have played nothing at all during the 15-month shutdown mandated by Covid-19, it’s definitely a positive step.
The B.C. Lottery Corp. said in a statement May 26: “Players will not be permitted to touch cards with the exception of Squeeze Baccarat, which utilizes one-time use cards.”
Social distancing of two meters (about six feet) is required between patrons and slot machines. Dealers will be separated from players by clear barriers.
Such rules were in place in the U.S. about this time last year, however Canada has been slower coming out of the pandemic. The casinos will also have reduced capacities, with each casino being determined on a case by case basis.
The casino industry is a 10,000 employee industry in B.C. The situation there is similar to that in other Canadian provinces, and again invites compares to Canada’s southern neighbor. In May, the American Gaming Association reported that U.S. casinos generated GGR of more than $11 billion for the first quarter.
Up north, the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. last month announced the temporary shutdown of its Casino Nova Scotia-Sydney. A week before, the Maritimes ordered Great Canadian to close its casino in Halifax.
Great Canadian, the largest gaming company in the country, has 25 properties, but only one, Casino New Brunswick, is open with limited hours. Interim CEO Terrance Doyle issued a statement saying the company will reopen when appropriate.
“For our properties that were allowed to reopen, we have observed encouraging visitation levels despite operating under restricted conditions,” he said. “Additionally, we are encouraged by the continued progress of the mass vaccination program across Canada, as well as the initial results of the wider reopening of other markets where vaccination levels are higher.”
The lights are out at Canadian casinos across the continent and that includes racetracks. But across the border, the lights of U.S. casinos are quite bright. The Covid vaccine became available in the U.S. in December. Canada was behind in getting its supply.
Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, told Casino.org the pandemic was “a lot worse for different reasons. The spread is happening at a greater speed.” He hopes that when Canadian casinos reopen they will see a similar reopening boom.
Quebec is due to start reopening but hasn’t yet addressed rules for casinos. Ontario, the largest province, will begin reopening June 14, but casinos are not included in that first phase. They will begin reopening in the third phase.
