As of midnight on March 17, Missouri Governor Mike Parson ordered the state’s 13 casinos to close as part of the battle against the coronavirus. “I have consulted with the chairman of the gaming commission and Missouri casinos will be closed at midnight tonight through at least March 30 in order to help prevent the spread of Covid-19,” Parson said.
Missouri Gaming Commission Chairman Mike Leara said closing the casinos could result in lost revenue of $1 million for the state. “I don’t think we had any choice in this,” he added. :The governor’s office was concerned that gatherings of more than 50 people were not in the best interest of the state.”
Leara said based on what Missouri casino operators saw occurring in other states, they accepted the governor’s decision. “They started to see this coming,” he said.
