Cascades Casino Resort will reopen on Thursday, July 1. The management of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment announced the reopening on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 29. They made it clear that the facility located in Langley downtown at 20393 Fraser Hwy will start 24/7 operations starting at 7 a.m. on July 1, 2021.
In the public announcement on Tuesday, the CEO Tony Santo expressed his joy at the casino’s reopening and community gaming centers in the province. The close-down came after the compulsory COVID shut down by the government, which lasted over a year. He also warmly welcomed all the employees and customers back to the safe gaming and dining environment.
Two-meter Social Distancing
According to the public relations director, Tony Gabara, Cascades Casino is reopening all their casino games with strict adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. He confirmed the seating reconfiguration with slot machines and table games and a two-meter social distance between players. He added that Plexiglass has also been installed to act as a physical barrier between players. Gabara said that selected slot machines have already been disabled to avoid any form of crowding, and no seating will be allowed in such slots games.
Tony said that they are not leaving any stone unturned in adherence to COVID protocols. He noted that additional changes made are on reducing limited occupancy on the gaming floor and that only players whose cards can be dealt face up will have access to table games. He also said that other than Squeeze Baccarat, whose cards have a one-time use, no player will be allowed to touch cards. This means that Poker and Bingo will be available due to the strict protocols.
While speaking to Langley Advanced Times, Tony Gabara said, “Our team has been working diligently for many months to make our facilities a safe return of both our guests and team members.” He indicated that they had gone out of their way to install plexiglass as physical barriers.
Still no Buffet
Cascades Casinos Kamloops facility’s restaurants, Match Eatery & Public House, and Atlas Steak + Fish restaurants resumed operations in Mid-March and late March, respectively, and continues to offer dine-in services to guests. Gabara, however, advised that the buffet will remain closed in the meantime. Other Resorts’ products resuming operations are Glacier Bar, Starbucks, and casino floor food and beverage service. Then later, he said, will reopen but with revised operating plans.
All Cascades Casino Resort staff and players are required to wear face masks at all times. The company, however, made it clear that players will need to remove their facial coverings at the entrance of the building for identification purposes as part of gaming floor security requirements.
The mandatory shutdown left more than 500 staff without work. On its full operations, the casino has 577 employees, but currently, only 76 employees are at work. Gabara said that at least 490 employees would be back to work after the Canada day reopening.
He said, “As restrictions are lifted, more staff will be returned to active work. We are pleased to see that many of our team members have hung in there with us and are eager to get back to work.”
Cascades Casino Resort is one of the biggest companies in Langley City and a top employer. Thanks to the strict gaming regulations, Cascade’s casino sends 10% of its net profits to the municipality. Annually, the company alone contributes $ 6 million towards the city’s municipality revenue in addition to its relentless effort to support civic projects like Langley’s Memorial Hospital Foundation. Without Cascades Casino Resort, Langley city municipal taxes would be 2.5% lower.
Last Updated on by Andrew