In Pennsylvania, the state Gaming Control Board approved the reopening of the poker rooms at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Monroe County and Mohegan Sun Pocono in Luzerne County on Friday, October 16. The state’s nine casino poker rooms had been closed for seven months due to Covid-19. Several reopened June 19, including Mount Airy and Mohegan Sun Pocono, but their poker rooms remained closed.
Elsewhere, Penn National Gaming Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations Jeff Morris said the poker room at Meadows Racetrack & Casino will reopen October 23, but did not give a date for the company’s Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County.
Wind Creek Bethlehem spokesperson Julia Corwin said no date had been set for opening the casino’s 26-table poker room. The casino reopened in late June at less than the permitted 50 percent occupancy. Last month it laid off 20 percent of its employees due to lower business volume and now employs 1,600 people, Corwin said. The casino still plans to open its sportsbook in late November, she added.
Gaming Control Board spokesman Doug Harbach said the board last month asked casinos to submit their poker room plans, with tentative reopening dates no sooner than October 16. Among the new rules are mandatory masks by staff and guests, clear dividers separating dealers and players, a maximum of seven players per table and no spectators. The casinos are required to establish cleaning and sanitizing protocols and schedules for cleaning and sanitizing the dividers, chips and cards. Also, players may wear translucent gloves and food is not allowed.
Meanwhile, according to state figures, online gambling continues to grow, generating more than $57 million in revenue in September compared to $4.1 million in September 2019, when just a few online gambling operations were available. As a result, overall revenue statewide in September rose 1 percent to $284.2 million compared to September 2019, and generated more than $119 million in taxes, despite casino slot machine and table game revenue both down about 16 percent.
Legal video gaming terminals produced more than $2.3 million in revenue. But illegal video gaming terminals—now estimated in the tens of thousands–continue to cannibalize legal gaming revenue, reducing a major funding source for casino host communities. State Sen. Robert Tomlinson said, “One of the things that are threatening our local share are these illegal machines that are in pizza parlors and bars, malls, they’re all over the place, and not being investigated or overseen by any authority at all. We’ve got to stop it. It affects the good we’re trying to do in our local community.”
Legislation has been proposed to expand the number of slot machines in statewide by 85,000. Casino operators oppose the measure but it’s supported by restaurant and tavern owners. Bucks County Commissioner and former state Rep. Gene DiGirolamo stated, “Video game terminals won’t fix the budget deficit.”
