If three or more employees at a casino are infected with the coronavirus in the span of 14 days, the casino must notify the county Department of Public Health.Ĭompliance is to be monitored by county health officials as well as state gambling regulators.Ĭasino operators met with county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on June 28 to discuss reopening. At the Commerce Casino, a maximum of eight players are allowed to play poker at the same table, with fewer players allowed at tables for games such as pai gow and baccarat.

The number of players at each gambling table must be limited “such that patrons and employees are able to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet at all times,” and if not, physical barriers such as plexiglass sheets must be installed, according to the county’s protocols. Under the new county protocols, all gamblers and casino employees must wear masks at all times except when eating or drinking in designated areas, and must undergo screening for chills, fever and coughing before entering the outdoor tented area no food or drink is allowed at the gambling tables and no spectators are allowed to stand behind the players. Before the pandemic, the casino operated 277 tables. On Monday, the Commerce Casino operated about 60 gaming tables in two tented areas - one that was previously used for parking and one where an outdoor smoking area had been. Since then, most tribal casinos in the state have reopened, adopting individual health and safety protocols developed with the assistance of state, federal and local health agencies.

Gavin Newsom’s pleas to keep such indoor businesses shut. They want to avoid a repeat of what happened in June: The county’s card clubs and some other indoor businesses opened for the first time since March, but after 10 days, the state - alarmed by a surge in coronavirus cases in the region - ordered them to shut again.Ĭiting tribal sovereignty, more than a dozen casinos on tribal reservations in California reopened in May despite Gov. Griffo and other casino operators vowed to take the health precautions seriously so they can stay open. “It’s a baby step toward opening kind of gradually, like restaurants,” said John Griffo, director of business development at the Commerce Casino.

Poker games at commerce casino