Image by Alejandro Luengo

Miami Casinos Are Back In The Game

Article by : Helen Sep 8, 2020

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Updated: Apr 6, 2023

The land-based casino market in the United States is gradually recovering. States reduce progressively restrictive measures and allowing gambling establishments to reopen. Even NY, which shows only 1% of new infections, is gradually concluding that the casino market needs to get back on its feet. The Governor of New York plans to provide clear rules and requirements for the opening of land-based casinos and ensure visitors’ safety.

It looks like Florida is next in line. Starting from August 31, operators will be able to welcome guests to the gaming halls again. The same goes for indoor dining in Miami-Dade. The final decision to open a casino was made last week after analyzing the level of the new Covid-19 cases. According to official figures, the threshold for new cases has remained below 8.2% for over a week.

The casinos located in Miami have been relaunched several times. The last gambling establishment closed its doors on July 3. Then the Miami-Dade authorities had to issue a particular order since the number of new coronavirus infections began to grow steadily.

Now the situation looks completely different. It does not seem that Mayor Carlos Gimenez plans to issue a permit to restart the gambling business. Gambling halls will serve no more than 50% of visitors. Operators must take care of the most stringent security measures. In any case, restarting the gambling market is a step in the right direction.

Casino guests will be required to wear protective face masks and adhere to social distancing requirements. The restaurants and bars will remain closed to visitors to reduce the risk of infection to a minimum. The casino will need to take all the necessary steps to ensure timely cleaning and disinfection of surfaces throughout the gaming process. Gambling houses should closely monitor everything that happens on the territory and ensure that all state leadership requirements are met. Failure to adhere to security protocols will result in huge fines or forced casino closures.

Indoor dining will also be officially permitted. However, the number of visitors cannot exceed 50% of the capacity. According to the new recommendations, no more than 6 people can sit at one table. Restaurants must also use the air conditioning system without interruption as long as visitors stay indoors. To ensure better air circulation, doors and windows should always remain in ventilation mode.

Perhaps these measures seem too harsh, but the state has already witnessed how, after the decrease in cases of Covid-19, the situation then dramatically changed for the worse. One of the epicenters of new infections was the state of Miami-Dade. The state leadership had to take drastic measures, including closing many businesses and declaring a curfew from 22.00.

The situation has now improved significantly. According to official figures, the number of new infection cases did not exceed 8.2% in a week. Moreover, the number of new cases did not exceed 9.3% in two weeks.

Earlier, the mayor of Miami-Dade has already announced that he will most likely close restaurants and allow the functioning of only those operators that offer takeaway or food delivery. After carefully assessing the situation, the mayor agreed that residents could dine outdoors if this includes no more than 4 people at one table. If music is playing in the bar, it should not be too loud to minimize the rise in air droplets’ voice and emissions. In any case, the business that faced a stand-by seems to be warm to all ideas concerning quick reopening.