Several Southern California casinos announced they will open reopen Friday, May 22 after being shuttered for roughly two months due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.
Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella and sister property Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms will open their casinos and restaurants at 10 a.m.; Harrah’s Resort Southern California near Valley Center will open its casinos, bars and restaurants at noon; Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa near Cabazon will open its hotel, casino and some of its restaurants at 2 p.m.
Some of the casinos won’t be opening up fully and will leave some of their amenities closed for the time being.
Both Harrah’s and Morongo are keeping their fitness centers, buffets, pools, spas and valet services closed for the time being.
At Harrah’s, the hotel will remain closed as well as its shuttle services and its Laurel Lounge.
At Morongo, some restaurants, including Cielo Steakhouse and Potrero Canyon Buffet, will remain closed as will the poker and bingo rooms.
At Spotlight 29 Casino, the Capitata Buffet and En Vivo lounge will both be closed until further notice.
At Spotlight 29 and Tortoise Rock, employees will need to be tested for COVID-19 before returning to work and will receive periodic testing for the “forseeable future,” according to the release.
Anyone coming into the casinos will need to have their temperature checked and must wear protective masks. If they don’t have masks, they will be provided free at the door.
Slot machines at the two casinos will be disinfected at least once per hour and after each use. Players will be reminded to clean their hands frequently.
The casino will remove half of its slot chairs; not allow group gaming; remove seating at restaurants; and reconfigure public areas so that people can practice social distance.
When Harrah’s reopens, all guests will be required to wear face masks and have their temperatures checked before entering the building; team members will wear personal protective equipment and have their temperatures checked before each shift; and security personnel will enforce social distancing.
On the gaming floor, slot machine banks will be arranged to allow for social distancing and table games will be limited to a max of three players for blackjack tables and four players for roulette.
At the restaurants and bars, guests will be provided with disposable menus; Tables, chairs and bar stools will be arranged to allow for social distancing; Floor markers will indicate social distancing for lines; and all drinks will be served with lids.
There will be hand washing and hand sanitizing stations throughout the resort.
Morongo will take similar measures, checking temperatures for team members and guests with a touchless device before those individuals enter the casinos. The number of entrances will be reduced to ensure screenings, and the number of guests allowed inside will be limited to ensure social distancing.
Morongo guests, team members and vendors will have to wear face masks.
Plexiglass shields have been installed between slot machines.
Some slot machines will be turned off and seating will be limited at table games to help ensure social distancing. Guests will be asked to maintain physical distance from each other when possible.
There will be an increased number of hand sanitizing stations and “aggresive” cleaning and sanitation schedules have been implemented. Morongo will also clean out the air filters for its HVAC systems more frequently.
Harrah’s and Morongo join several other casinos in Southern California in announcing plans to reopen after roughly two months.
Harrah’s closed March 16 and Morongo closed March 17 due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.
Both had originally planned to reopen by the end of March, but after a statewide stay at home order was enacted, both casinos said they would stay closed until further notice.
Spotlight 29 and Tortoise Rock closed Thursday, March 19, just before the stay at home order went into effect. When they closed, they announced they would be closed until further notice.
The four casinos join Pechanga Resort Casino, Cahuilla Casino Hotel, Soboba Casino Resort, Valley View Casino & Hotel, Sycuan Casino Resort and Viejas Casino & Resort in announcing they will reopen.
Correction: Due to inaccurate information provided by the resort, a previous version of this article incorrectly stated when Morongo’s hotel will open.
