Pa Casino Closures
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The six state casinos still open, including The Meadows and Lady Luck Nemacolin, were ordered to close amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Pennsylvania’s casinos reopened yesterday, almost all of them anyway. The only one of the 12 still closed is Lady Luck Nemacolin, which will open on Friday, January 8 instead. North Dakota’s Sky Dancer Casino also resumed operations. California’s tribal casinos are mostly open, though its card rooms remain closed. After more than a decade of continued growth for Pennsylvania’s gaming industry that has pumped billions of tax dollars into state coffers and local communities, the casino industry — and that cash.
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board instructed the six remaining casinos to start closing procedures and shut down by 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“The order to close follows the rapid expansion of reported COVID-19 cases and is aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus,” the gaming control board said in a press release.
“While the closure of the casinos is temporary, there is no specific indication of when reopening will occur.”
The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh already closed. As of Monday afternoon, there were six cases of coronavirus in Allegheny County, and one in Washington where The Meadows is located.
Washington Co.’s commissioner says they were frustrated that The Meadows wasn’t closing, and they did not have the authority to close it.
The casino also said it will be compensating its employees during the closure.
Washington County has one confirmed case of coronavirus, as of Monday afternoon.
The commissioner says they are at the mercy of the State Health Department in regards to more information about the coronavirus case.
The announcement regarding the casinos followed Gov. Tom Wolf asking all “non-essential” businesses to close.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has filled every aspect of life with uncertainty. As a result of coronavirus fears, Pennsylvania’s 13 brick-and-mortar casinos are already being impacted. PlayPennsylvania will continue to provide updates on casino closures here as they become available.
But there are still ways to play. Since July 2019, Pennsylvanians have had the option to gamble online. A Pennsylvania doctor says that during this period of social distancing, iGaming is a safe and preferred option.
There are eight online casinos in PA:
- BetRivers
- PlaySugarHouse
- Hollywood
- FanDuel
- Unibet
- Parx
- PokerStars
- BetAmerica
Friday, March 13: Harrah’s, Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, close temporarily due to Gov. Wolf’s orders on social distancing
Late Friday evening, Rivers Casino announced locations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (formerly SugarHouse) would close for fourteen days starting on Sunday, March 15at midnight.
In a press release Rivers said:
“Although there have been no known cases of COVID-19 at the property, we are suspending operations out of an abundance of caution and to promote the social distancing recommended by health officials.”
Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester plans to temporarily close starting on Saturday, March 14 at 6 a.m. Like Rivers Casinos and Valley Forge Casino, there have been no reported cases to date at the location. Harrah’s racetrack will also be be closed.
BetRivers is still available for online casino play and sports betting. Harrah’s just launched its online sportsbook but does not offer iGaming yet.
Friday, March 13: Valley Forge Casino closes doors, President Trump declares state of emergency. Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to close
Valley Forge Casino closed its doors at 6 a.m. with the plan to remain closed for 14 days.
Then, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency during a 3:30 p.m. press conference. The move made available up to $50 billion to help states deal with the crisis.
Parx Racing stopped all live racing for the next two weeks and will close the racetrack in Bensalem. Parx Casino remains open for the time being.
Also announced late on Friday, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh will close for 14 days, beginning at midnight on Sunday, March 15. A casino spokesperson said in a news release:
Pa Casino Closures
“Although there have been no known cases of COVID-19 at the property, we are suspending operations out of an abundance of caution and to promote the social distancing recommended by health officials.”
Thursday, March 12: PA Gov. Wolf orders closures
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of all entertainment venues and more community gathering places in Montgomery County starting on Friday, March 13, for a period of 14 days.
Montgomery County is being called the epicenter for the virus in Pennsylvania due to its 13 presumed cases of coronavirus to date. Wolf did not specifically mention casinos in his 2 p.m. press conference Thursday. Valley Forge Casino is the only casino in Montgomery County.
During an early evening visit to Valley Forge Casino, the FanDuel sportsbook was empty. However, there was a crowd of people at blackjack tables, the craps table, and a wide age range (even elderly) playing at the slots.
At around midnight, Valley Forge Casino posted this on its Facebook page:
An Update for Our Valued Guests:Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf today ordered the closure of all public schools,…
Posted by Valley Forge Casino Resort on Thursday, March 12, 2020