Canada: Saskatchewan casinos to reopen on June 20

The Saskatchewan Indigenous Gaming Authority (SIGA) announced that all seven casinos in the Canadian province will be open by the end of June, coinciding with Phase 2 of the province’s reopening roadmap.

On June 20, The Gold Horse Casino in Lloydminster will open at 11 a.m., while Gold Eagle Casino in North Battleford, Bear Claw Casino & Hotel in the lush Moose Mountain area, Living Sky Casino in Swift Current, Painted Hand Casino in Yorkton, Dakota Dunes Casino in South of Saskatoon, and Northern Lights Casino in Prince Albert will open at 10 a.m.

In this initial phase of opening, SIGA will start up at reduced capacity, given the 150 person maximum and physical distancing requirements imposed by the provincial health guidelines. Select gaming and food service will be available, but those will be enhanced when more restrictions are lifted.

SIGA President and CEO Zane Hansen stated in a media release: “I’m very excited for our team members to return to what they do best, providing the best entertainment experience possible for our guests, even if that experience now looks a bit different.”

Patricia Cook, VP of Corporate Affairs at SIGA said: “I think the hardest part for everybody during the pandemic has been the sense of isolation. I think this gives people hope and staff will be excited there’s an opportunity to come back to work. [It’s] not only for the patrons but for the staff to be able to normalize things,” as reported by paNOW.

Cook also said that table games would not be available immediately, but the hope was to reinstate those from July, and that restaurants will be open and following the same hygiene and social distancing protocols. All visitors will undergo a simple screening process before entering any casino.