Seven cardrooms in Los Angeles County opened outdoors beginning on October 5. The County’s cardrooms reopened in June but were forced to shut on July 1. They stayed closed until last week.
They opened in tents, complete with social distancing and rules limiting how many players can sit at tables, and banning customers hanging around behind them to watch.
Although it is obviously better than being closed, only a small percentage of the 8,000 workers who usually staff the card clubs returned to work.
There is no food and beverage service.
One of the first to reopen was Larry Flint’s Lucky Lady Casino, with a staff of 200, about half of normal. It is operating under a tent 80 feet by 100 and 40 tables. Plexiglass barriers separate players from each other and the dealer. Facemasks are required for all.
General Manager Aaron Dennis told the Daily Breeze, “We’ve been able to effectively recreate an entire casino operation in a matter of weeks outdoors and in tents. It really speaks to what we’re able to accomplish because our team is so dynamic.”
The County allowed outdoor operations after being petitioned by officials from Hawaiian Gardens, Bell Gardens, Gardena and Commerce, which largely depend on tax revenues from casinos.
Bell Gardens Mayor Alejandra Cortez told the Breeze, “For us it’s a glimmer of hope. It’s a starting point to move forward. The pandemic has been much longer than we all expected. We’ve been suffering for the past several months, engaging in tough conversations with employees and residents about needing to cut services.”
City Manager Mike O’Kelly added, “Having the casino open in some capacity, as limited as it is, is still better than not having it open at all.”
