All Ontario Casinos Closed Due to COVID-19

ONTARIO – In a move to help combat the easy transmission of COVID-19, Ontario’s Lottery & Gaming said that all Ontario casinos will be closed indefinitely. The OLG has said it will provide information on when the casinos can re-open but that information would come when they are informed to do so by public health authorities.

Ontario currently has over 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and this measure is to further prevent the spread of this infectious disease. The OLG said in a news release that, “This action is consistent with the recommendations of the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health related to new precautionary measures for COVID-19.”

This move to close all casinos comes with great relief, especially for Theo Lagakos, President of Local 533, a company that represents employees at Casino Woodbine in Toronto. Lagakos has been vocal in his urgency for the province to close all casinos because of the dangers that casino workers face due to the fact that they are unable to wear masks and that they have no way of effectively cleaning and disinfecting the cards, chips, and their tables.

Lagakos says the safety of everyone is of utmost importance, “None of us wish to be in a situation where a particular business takes a hit, however health and safety has to be a priority.”