On June 19

California: Hustler Casino reopens with half capacity

The casino will have about 600 employees, down from around 750 before the pandemic.
2020-06-23
Reading time 2:53 min
The casino in Gardena, Los Angeles, resumed operations after being closed for more than three months due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the safety measures that will be put in place include plexiglass dividers in many of the card tables, temperature checks and half capacity.

California's Hustler Casino reopened its doors last Friday after being closed since March 14 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, two weeks before Los Angeles County issued its Safer at Home order shuttering all non-essential businesses.

The reopening of the casino in Gardena came on the same day other card rooms, bars, nail salons and tattoo parlors in LA County were allowed to do the same, with certain restrictions — the latest in a series of health-order amendments that have allowed various other businesses to resume operations in recent weeks.

“We closed before it was mandated,” said Shaun Yaple, the casino’s general manager. “We read the atmosphere and came on that day and decided we would have to close. People were freaked out. I think now people know what to expect to protect themselves.”

Despite all of the businesses that have received the OK to reopen, public health officials have said they will continue watching closely for any spikes in COVID-19 cases, in case certain businesses need to close again, the Daily Breeze reports.

Officials will surely watch places like Hustler Casino with a particularly keen eye, because of their ability to welcome hundreds of people under one roof. Half capacity, required under the health guidelines, still means that Hustler can have up to 700 people at one time.

Because of the potential for the virus to spread there, the casino will register each guest in a database. If there is a positive case, individuals there at the same time as the person with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, can be contacted.

The casino will also have attendants in the bathrooms making sure players wash their hands and a strict policy requiring face masks.

“The biggest thing for us is we are going to be real diligent about people not following our procedures,” Yaple said. “We give one warning for not wearing your mask correctly and the second warning you have to leave.”

In order to reopen, the casino has taken some extraordinary steps to keep the place clean. High-touch surfaces will be cleaned frequently. That goes for the 240,000 chips that splash down on the card tables nightly, which will go through a soap-and-water bath each day. Cards, meanwhile, will be changed out more often and thrown away.

And, despite those jackpots that beg for high-fives and hugs, the casino will promote zero physical touching within the building.

“You can touch the cash afterwards,” Yaple joked.

Additional changes to the casino include:

  • Anyone entering the casino will have their temperature checked;
  • Tables are spread out more and fewer players are seated per table;
  • Many of the card tables now have plexiglass dividers. For those that don’t, only three players and a banker will be seated;
  • No food and beverage service at the table. Drinks can be brought to the table, with straws.
  • Players can eat in a dining room;
  • Hand sanitizers abound; an
  • The night club will remain closed.

Yaple said that  despite the alterations and the obvious loss in revenue, the team was excited to get the floor buzzing again. There is a certain amount of energy in the card room, he said, and it’s something he and his colleagues have missed over the past few months. The casino will have about 600 employees, down from around 750 before the pandemic, Yaple said.

“The staff is really excited to get back in,” Yaple said.

This year also marks the casino’s 20th anniversary, a milestone that’s been overshadowed by the challenges at hand.

For the casino, which is normally open 24 hours a day, the three-month closure afforded the chance to make some other changes, such as remodeling the bathrooms, and installing new carpet and floor lamps.

“We’ve taken the time,” Yaple said, “to do things we could not have done while we were operating.”

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