California: Eagle Mountain Casino reopens with new protocols for guests

With safety precautions in place and a reduced maximum capacity, Eagle Mountain Casino (EMC) reopened to the public at midnight on Tuesday in California.

“We are extremely excited about being able to welcome back all of our guests,” said EMC General Manager Matthew Mingrone, as reported by The Porterville Recorder. “We made a lot of preparations to ensure a safe and clean environment for everyone, whether they are a guest or a team member.”

Regarding the preparations made by EMC to help keep the public safe from COVID-19, the casino, which is operated by The Tule River Tribal Council and Eagle Mountain Casino Management, has implemented a number of new protocols for visiting guests. 

Each guest must stop at the checkpoint near McCarthy Ranch and have their temperature taken. If a guest’s temperature is too high, they will not be allowed into the casino. If their temperature is within a normal range, each guest is given a red wristband, indicating they passed the checkpoint and are OK to be inside the casino with other guests.

Furthermore, EMC has spent $90,000 on personal protective equipment to sanitize the entire casino. The casino has also implemented new technology on their slot machines that will tell the EMC team which machines need to be sanitized and which machines can be used. If a slot machine is ready to use, a green screen will show letting guests know they can play that machine. If the screen is red, EMC team members are alerted to the machine and can sanitize it for the next guest.

Also, the casino has included a “Page Attendant” button to their slot machines, in case a guest feels the machine hasn’t been properly sanitized before they sit down. Every other slot machine is used, leaving the proper space between each seat to keep social distancing in place. The casino’s capacity is now 550.

The casino’s table games have been limited to three players per table. The tables are also wiped down and disinfected thoroughly multiple times a day. EMC team members are required to wear masks at all times, and plexi glass shields have been put in between slot machines and counters to keep the EMC team and guests protected.

“It went very well,” said Mingrone about Tuesday’s midnight reopening. “We had a good size crowd waiting for the doors to open at midnight. We feel very strongly that we can still provide an exciting, fun experience even with the new protocols and capacity restraints.”

EMC will remain open for 24 hours, but has a deep cleaning schedule in place to ensure all of the EMC team members and guests remain safe and healthy. Shuttle and charter services have temporarily been suspended, but shuttle service in the main parking lot is still available for guest use.