Arizona: Gila River three casinos reopen again with enhanced safety measures

Gila River Gaming Enterprises Inc. announced its facilities are reopening on Thursday with enhanced safety and sanitation protocols in place.

Gila River Hotels & Casinos decided to reopen Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte and Vee Quiva after a two-week closure following input from its team members, the Gila River Indian Community Council, and incorporating guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arizona Department of Health Services, according to a press release.

“These enhanced health and safety measures go beyond CDC and AZDHS guidelines,” Gila River Gaming CEO Kenneth Manuel said in the release. “The safety of our valued team members and guests are our priority. We will continue to adapt and enhance our safety measures to provide the highest level of care and service for our team members and guests.”

Upon reopening its facilities, new policies and strategies implemented by Gila River Gaming include non-smoking; closing casinos from 2am-10am daily for deep-cleaning; testing employees for COVID-19 every two weeks; mandatory temperature checks for team members and guests upon arrival; mandatory face coverings for all team members and guests; redesigned casino floors and gaming tables to ensure physical distancing and reduced occupancy; Plexiglass separation fixtures on slot machines; installation of a cleaning alert system on all slots that allows visitors to alert a cleaning ambassador if machine requires cleaning, among others.

Thursday marks the second time Gila River Gaming has reopened locations amid the coronavirus pandemic; facilities partially reopened on May 15 before closing down once again on June 18, after employees expressed concern over health and safety measures. One employee at the Lone Butte location died from coronavirus, according to his family. Manual said that he and Gila River Gaming are continuing to mourn the death of Robert Washington Jr., who contracted coronavirus and later died after returning to work when the casino initially reopened, according to an ABC15 report. “We believe that the safety protocols that we are employing will create a safe environment for our guests and team members,” Manuel said.