California: largest Bay Area's casino reopens

California Bay Area's largest casino will reopen this week, after a three-month closure due to COVID-19.

Customers returned to the Graton Resort & Casino on Thursday morning, on the western outskirts of Rohnert Park, Sonoma County. The Las Vegas-style casino, owned by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, unlocked its doors at 8 a.m. and its main parking lot appeared about half full within a couple of hours, The Press Democrat reports. On the gaming floor, there were just four seats at each card table and many of the slot machines have been turned off, with each active machine surrounded by two dark ones.

In a news release about Thursday's reopening, Graton said almost all of its 1,200 employees who were furloughed during the temporary closure were rehired, and that every employee has been trained on the new safety protocols in accordance with all state and local recommendations.

The resort’s 200-room hotel and the 320,000-square-foot casino each reopened Thursday with new restrictions to align with local public health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Those limitations include a reduced number of slot machines and seats at table games to employ physical distance recommendations, temperature checks at the door and requiring face masks be worn inside. The masks may be removed only to smoke, drink or eat, tribal chairman Greg Sarris said, or the casino’s “beefed-up” security will ask guests to leave.

The number of patrons was also set to be held at less than half its usual maximum occupancy of several thousand, though casino officials were unable to identify what those totals were.

River Rock Casino near Geyserville, which is owned and operated by the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, has set a reopening date of June 29 as well.