Loto-Québec further tightened the measures regarding gaming across the province in a situation of increased health risk. Video Lottery Terminals across the province would no longer be operational, as the Crown corporation disconnected them for the foreseeable future. The Quebec government implements draconian measures battling the outbreak of COVID-19 on a provincial level.
About five days ago, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic and this information took the world by storm. The declaration came as the novel coronavirus quickly spread to upwards of 121,000 individuals across most of the continents. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the past couple of weeks have seen a thirteenfold increase of the individuals contracting the virus.
Restaurants Open without VLTs
Their number is projected to increase and the only way it could be manipulated and slowed don it through the so-called social distancing. Such a move would make it possible for the COVID-19 contraction to be equally spread over the upcoming months, in order to give the hospitals time to prepare and to take care of each individual battling the virus. Quebec is one of the provinces with draconian measures.
A total of 39 coronavirus cases have been confirmed within the borders of the province as of this Monday which is a situation calling for unprecedented measures. The Quebec government announced this weekend that visits to seniors’ residences, long-term care facilities, as well as hospitals are officially banned. This regulation is expected to protect the most vulnerable demographics and guarantee that their health would remain unchanged over the following weeks.
Their grandchildren and kids would be able to visit them once the critical period is over. Along with those locations, Quebec’s government also mandated the temporary closure of bars, restaurants, gyms, as well as other venues drawing larger crowds. Hélène Carabin, a professor of epidemiology in the Université de Montréal, stated that more cases would emerge in the upcoming days and weeks.
Casinos in Quebec Closed
Video lottery terminals are among the most popular gaming offerings out there, which is why they are located in various bars and restaurants across the province. Loto-Québec wants to discourage people from in-person gambling, which is the reason behind its decision to disconnect the devices. Limiting gatherings and social events with many attendants have been considered crucial steps for the province.
Now that bars would no longer welcome customers, the Crown corporation would pull the plug of its popular VLTs. Restaurants would continue working only following the limiting of their capacity to 50 percent. However, the VLTs installed in some of them would not be working over the upcoming weeks. Bingo and kinzo gaming opportunities came to a halt over this weekend, shortly after the gaming giant announced it closes its casino venues and gaming halls.
Casino Montreal, Casino Charlevoix, Casino Lac-Leamy, as well as Casino Mont-Tremblant would stay closed for business amid growing concerns of coronavirus contraction. Along with them, the Crown corporation closed its gaming venues in Quebec and Trois-Rivières. Online gaming offered by the Crown corporation is projected to be a safer alternative and to experience a surge of revenue down the road.
