Sooner Than Expected: Alberta Casinos and Bingo Halls Re-Open

ALBERTA – In a bid to re-open businesses and help stimulate the economy, Alberta has begun re-opening casinos and bingo halls within the province. Alberta Premier, Jason Kenney, recently announced the province’s Stage 2 re-opening strategy, where casinos and bingo halls were grouped into this phase. However, casinos and bingo halls were initially grouped into Stage 3.

As part of the re-opening phase, Alberta casinos and bingo halls will be required to adhere to the health guidelines set out by the province. This includes a frequent and thorough cleaning of slot machines and any other high-touch areas. Other health and safety measures will be implemented, including installing socially-distanced markers on the ground and arrows on the ground to direct one-way foot traffic in busy areas. It’s important to note that traditional casino table games, such as Blackjack, Pai Gow, and Roulette (among others), will not be offered as of yet.

One of the casinos that have re-opened is River Cree Resort and Casino. In their preparations to re-open, River Cree is following provincial health guidelines as well as taking more proactive steps themselves. This includes new signage, barriers between each slot machine, creating a dedicated cleaning team, and making numerous hand sanitizing stations available throughout the casino.

River Cree has acknowledged that these safety measures will cost the casino more to implement and maintain but they also acknowledge that it is a cost that all businesses will have to incur.