Ontario is moving ahead of schedule and Stage 3 of the economic restart plan is set to commence earlier than expected on July 16. Caesars Windsor Casino & Hotel sees this as great news as the property is also ready to reopen its doors and its unionized staff members have returned to their positions in preparations for the reopening.
Casino properties in Ontario have been closed down at the end of this April as many business enterprises were closed down to prevent the spread of the unprecedented situation. And despite not being operation then, the casino is now expected to reopen with the rest of the gaming entities in the province in July.
July 16 Reopening
Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy stated that 300 of the union’s 2,200 workers have returned to the premises of the casino as the facility should reopen its doors on July 16. According to him, the workers are setting up the casino for the reopening, performing maintenance, or receiving training. The venue will be allowed to operate at 50% of its full volume.
Mr. Cassidy explained that there will be new health and safety rules in place that players and staff must comply with after the reopening. He continued by saying that the spacious gaming floor allowed for the rearrangement of machines thus providing enough social distancing. He concluded by expressing his excitement about the reopening and stated that 600 to 800 staff members will return for the imminent relaunch.
Since the beginning of the unprecedented situation, Caesars Windsor has been operational only for a limited spell. After being closed down in March 2020, the casino was allowed to reopen months later on October 8. The facility had to operate in a quite limited capacity with a maximum of 50 individuals at a time. Management of the property was alarmed that due to the limit of players it will not be able to make enough to sustain its daily operations and it closed down shortly after.
Casino Rama
Another gaming hotspot in Ontario that fans have been eager to see reopen its doors is Casino Rama. After 16 months of non-operations, the casino property is finally reopening on July 29, 2021. Patrons are not required to make a reservation before attending, informs the casino. Also, table games and slot machines will be available for playing along with Simcoe Yard House for dining.
The casino is owned and overseen by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, and its management has not yet provided a specific timeframe on when live entertainment will return. The hotel and spa facilities are also among the unknowns as the company did not provide an update on them. However, the company should provide more information on the reopening this week.
Rearrangement of Gaming Floor
In order to provide social distancing between patrons Casino Rama has undergone some rearrangements of its gaming floor during the lockdown. Over 400 slot machines and 20 table games have been removed from the floor. President of Unifor Local 1090 union, Corey Dalton assured that no staff will be laid off despite the reduction of machines and that the 1050 unionized members will all keep their positions at the venue.
Source: Bacon, Gord “Union Excited to See Caesars Windsor Workers Back to Work”, iHeartRadio, July 10, 2021
