Casino Open Ontario

Some are saying that the worst is over; others that it's still to come - in any case, gamblers may have started to miss heading out to their local casino, and we don't blame themfor being on the lookout for news on casino reopenings in Canada and beyond. The good news is, things seem to be finally moving, with casino reopenings being a part of each province's gradualPost-Covid reopening plan. CanadaCasino has taken a look of the current situation and the developments in various provinces.

Land-Based Casino Reopenings in Canada

Every province in Canada has its own reopening plan, each of which is unfolding in separate stages. Casinos were far from being among the first businesses to reopen, and for most citizens, thebest alternative at the moment is to join one of the many Canadian online casinoswhich provide atotally safe gaming environment from a public health perspective!

Below is a brief outlook of casino reopening plans by province for those who prefer a brick-and-mortar experience.

Casino Open In Ontario

According to Casino Woodbine’s website, all possible time slots are full for the next four days. Earlier this month, the Ford government announced that select casinos would be able to reopen. Ontario reported 700 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday — the highest single-day case count since the province began tracking infections in March. This website is for the use of adults in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Lottery and charitable gaming products are only available to those persons 18 years of age and over, while casinos and slot facilities in Ontario.

Great Canadian Gaming has finally declared that its casinos in Ontario and New Brunswick will reopen on the 28th of September! This is great news after months of closure. 11 casinos will reopen in total in Ontario, with a capacity limit of 50 people each. Table games will sadly remain closed for the time being.

September Update! Ontario and New Brunswick Casinos to Reopen

Great Canadian Gaming has finally declared that its casinos in Ontario and New Brunswick will reopen on the 28th of September! This is great news after months of closure.

11 casinos will reopen in total in Ontario, with a capacity limit of 50 people each. Table games will sadly remain closed for the time being. Other casinos in Ontario have not announcedtheir reopening date, after the 50-people limit was deemed unviable by certain casinos last month, among them the Caesars Windsor casino. Similarly, FallsviewCasino Resort and Casino Niagara have not confirmed their reopening dates.

The New Brunswick Casino will reopen with 25% capacity limit, and with half of its slot machines available, in its effort to maintain social distancing.

Alberta - land-based casinos now open!

To start off with the good news, casinos in Alberta have already reopened, with various measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The doors to several casinosopened on Friday 12th June, after having been closed since the 17th of March

River Cree Casino opened with capacity limits, increased cleaning, barriers between slot machines and some other measures. All the games, with the exception of Blackjack andPoker, are open, and so are the restaurants.

Other casinos that have reopened in the last week include Century Casinos in St. Albert, Edmonton and Century Mile, and Pure Casino onYellowhead Trail.

Nova Scotia - casinos reopening soon!

The operator behind land-based casinos in Halifax and Sydney, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, has been given the green light to reopen back in June, although there is still noofficial date set. Residents should be able to visit the Casino Nova Scotia venues in Halifax and Sydney soon.

British Columbia - no timeline for reopening

Casinos in British Columbia can only reopen as part of the province's Phase 4 plan, alongside conventions, professional sports, international tourism and concerts. Unfortunately, Phase4 actually requires a vaccine to be available to the broad community... so gamblers should seek an alternative for the time being!

Manitoba

Manitoba announced that some indoor venues such as Bingo halls and billiard rooms will be opening on June 21 as part of Phase 3. However, the province hasn't reopened its casinos yet.

Quebec

Casinos in Quebec are now reopening! Casino de Montreal plans to open six sections on the 3rd of August, each of which will host a maximum of 250 guests. Guestsshould book their spot through an RSVP system.

What's more, land-based casinos in Quebec will be the first to open table games in Canada following the COVID-19 crisis. Masks are mandatory, gamblers must santitize theirhands before and after playing table games, and they will also be provided with a stylus to avoid touching devices.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan reopened its land-based casinos on the 9th of July, although card tables are closed. Masks are mandatory for both staff and guests.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island has progressed to Phase 4 of its reopening plan on June 26, with and the reopening of casinos is included as part of this stage. The Red Shores casinos inCharlottetown, as well as the gaming floor in Summerside are open, with limited capacity.

Yukon

The Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall (Dawson City) is the only gaming establishment in Yukon. On June 12, the venue has announced that it's working closely with the Chief MedicalOfficer of Health and the Yukon Government with the aim of opening in the very near future.

NorthWest Territories

There are no government-regulated casinos in the NorthWest Territories, and the province is still at Stage 2 of its reopening plan.

Casino Reopenings in the US

Meanwhile in the US, casinos in Las Vegas have opened up on the 4th of June, after 78 days in lockdown. The reopening was celebrated with fireworks and a water show at the Bellagio fountains.All protocols at each specific venue had to be approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, all casinos have opened with limited capacity and additional measures such as hand sanitizerstations, and the wearing of masks by casino staff. It's still not the Vegas we've grown to know, but at least things seem to be moving in the right direction, and thousands of gamblers havealready flocked to sin city!

Other States saw casino reopenings far earlier than Vegas, as early as May 1st in Idaho. The first casino in Washington, the Northern Quest Casino, reopened on May 5th, whereas in Florida,Iowa, Missisippi, Pennsylvania, Missouri and West Virginia, all commercial casinos were allowed to reopen by the end of May (you can see a full list of States and casino reopeningshere).

Clearly, Canada and the US are taking very different approaches to Post-Covid reopenings, with plans being far more gradual and stricter in Canada.

Online Casinos vs Land-based casinos

Nothing can beat the thrill of playing at a brick-and-mortar casino now and again. But of course, in these past months, gamblers have mostly resorted to online casino sites to enjoy slots andtable games. Live casino games also make for a great alternative for those who love to play tablegames at land-based venues, since they enable players to interact with a live croupier in real-time while enjoying classic casino games like Roulette, Blackjack and Baccarat.

What's more, most players will find a greater variety of games at online casinos, and can generally benefit from bigger bonuses and promotions, given the fierce competition between onlineoperators. Since online gambling laws in Canada do not prohibit residents from playing with offshore casino sites, the choice when it comes to playing real-money online is quite vast.

• Rigorous health & safety procedures

• New reservation and virtual queue system to promote safe distancing

October 6, 2020 – Gateway Casinos & Entertainment (Gateway) is pleased to announce that it will re-open select properties in Ontario as part of the province’s Stage 3 guidelines. Beginning on Thursday, October 8, locations in Woodstock, Clinton and Hanover will re-open and all other Gateway locations – except for Casino Rama Resort – will re-open on Saturday, October 10. Under this framework, all properties will be restricted to the government mandated maximum of 50 guests, and will only include slot machines. Table games will not be operational and non-gaming amenities will be very limited.

At opening and in the coming days, we will be operating with a reservation and invitation system for our customers only. Due to the 50-customer capacity restrictions, properties will be open to invited My Club Rewards members only. Invited members will be notified by email with details on how to make reservations.

“We are excited to be able to re-open our Ontario properties and welcome back some of our team members and customers. The health and well-being of our employees and guests is our top priority,” said Tony Santo, CEO at Gateway Casinos. “We look forward to fully re-opening and welcoming more of our guests back in the future as capacities are increased and restrictions are lifted.”

Maintaining a clean environment is a year-round priority and it is regular practice to clean all hard surfaces, such as door handles and tables. Under the current environment, Gateway is being hyper-vigilant in our cleaning protocols throughout our properties to prevent the spread of transmittable illnesses, including COVID-19.

Gateway has implemented a new reservation and virtual queue system that will allow guests to book their play time online, check-in upon arrival and safely wait in their vehicles until we are ready for their entry. “This system will allow our staff to properly prepare the gaming floor for our guests, and ensure there is no congestion at the entrance as they wait to enter,” said Santo. “Things may look and feel a little different around the property, but we remain committed to making your visit enjoyable.”

For more information on the Company’s health and safety protocols, click here.

For re-opening information including details on all amenities and opening hours, please visit the individual property website or follow them on social media.

Casinos Open In Ontario Canada

Media Contact:

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment:

Rob Mitchell

Director, Communications & Public Affairs

226-235-6548

About Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited

Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited (“Gateway”) is one of the largest and most diversified gaming and entertainment companies in Canada with 26 gaming properties in British Columbia and Ontario and two additional properties in Edmonton, Alberta. Across its entire portfolio, Gateway currently employs over 8,000 people and features approximately 421 table games (including 48 poker tables), 14,162 slots, 82 food and beverage outlets and 561 hotel rooms. A multi-pronged growth strategy has seen Gateway diversify and expand its product offering, including developing proprietary casino and restaurant brands, dramatically improving the gaming customer experience while attracting new customers. Some of Gateway’s proprietary brands include Match Eatery & Public House, Atlas Steak + Fish and the new Halley’s Club. In 2017, Gateway celebrated 25 years in the business ofgaming and entertainment in Canada. Additional information is available at www.gatewaycasinos.com.* All figures as at February 13, 2020