EVANSVILLE, Ind. — With about 13,000 employees sidelined statewide – including 529 in the Evansville area – Indiana casinos are eager to get back to business.
Gaming properties closed March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tropicana Evansville and others across the state want to reopen by mid-June. There's a lot to do before then.
'The industry as a whole is taking its responsibilities very seriously to provide a safe environment for team members and guests,' said Matt Bell, executive director of the Casino Association of Indiana.
Tropicana Evansville and others across the state want to reopen by mid-June. There's a lot to do before then. 'The industry as a whole is taking its responsibilities very seriously to provide a. We are excited and appreciative to reopen Tropicana Evansville Casino on Monday, June 15 at 10 AM CT. As we resume operations at our properties across the country, the health and safety of our team members and guests continue to be our number one priority. Tropicana Evansville opens Monday By Jill Lyman June 9, 2020 at 12:14 PM CDT - Updated June 9 at 4:57 PM EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Officials with Tropicana say they are opening Monday, June 15. Tropicana Evansville offers comfortable hotel rooms on the Ohio river and the hottest table-games, slots and video-gaming in Indiana on their casino floor. Caesars Rewards Local Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts have come together to create new experiences for you. Tropicana Evansville Casino and The Deli reopened on Monday, June 15. Tropicana Hotel and The Brew Brothers Tap House reopened on Thursday, June 18. The Tap House will be operating under a modified schedule and will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
Enjoy free coverage
The association, Bell said, has shared with the Indiana Gaming Commission a set of 'minimum standards' for worker and guest safety, and 'every property should submit individual plans to meet or exceed those.'
Tropicana Evansville officials declined to comment, citing company policy. The local casino is owned by Eldorado Resorts.
'Obviously it's going to look a little different from property to property because they all have unique nuances,' Bell said. 'But there will be things like hand sanitizer stations throughout the floor. It's going to be important our team members and guests have an opportunity to wear masks.
'We'll set up our floors to accommodate social distancing, and that could look different casino to casino. Whether it's occupying every other slot machine, or moving them to provide social distancing. We could do things like limit folks at a particular table game. We'll have aggressive cleaning procedures, wiping down machines, tables and rails, trying to minimize touchpoints.'
Casinos also must evaluate things such as valet parking, which Bell said likely will not be offered at first, and buffet dining. Tropicana has multiple restaurants, plus a sportsbook that opened in September.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — With about 13,000 employees sidelined statewide – including 529 in the Evansville area – Indiana casinos are eager to get back to business.
Gaming properties closed March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tropicana Evansville and others across the state want to reopen by mid-June. There's a lot to do before then.
'The industry as a whole is taking its responsibilities very seriously to provide a safe environment for team members and guests,' said Matt Bell, executive director of the Casino Association of Indiana.
Tropicana Evansville and others across the state want to reopen by mid-June. There's a lot to do before then. 'The industry as a whole is taking its responsibilities very seriously to provide a. We are excited and appreciative to reopen Tropicana Evansville Casino on Monday, June 15 at 10 AM CT. As we resume operations at our properties across the country, the health and safety of our team members and guests continue to be our number one priority. Tropicana Evansville opens Monday By Jill Lyman June 9, 2020 at 12:14 PM CDT - Updated June 9 at 4:57 PM EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Officials with Tropicana say they are opening Monday, June 15. Tropicana Evansville offers comfortable hotel rooms on the Ohio river and the hottest table-games, slots and video-gaming in Indiana on their casino floor. Caesars Rewards Local Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts have come together to create new experiences for you. Tropicana Evansville Casino and The Deli reopened on Monday, June 15. Tropicana Hotel and The Brew Brothers Tap House reopened on Thursday, June 18. The Tap House will be operating under a modified schedule and will be open Wednesday through Sunday.
Enjoy free coverage
The association, Bell said, has shared with the Indiana Gaming Commission a set of 'minimum standards' for worker and guest safety, and 'every property should submit individual plans to meet or exceed those.'
Tropicana Evansville officials declined to comment, citing company policy. The local casino is owned by Eldorado Resorts.
'Obviously it's going to look a little different from property to property because they all have unique nuances,' Bell said. 'But there will be things like hand sanitizer stations throughout the floor. It's going to be important our team members and guests have an opportunity to wear masks.
'We'll set up our floors to accommodate social distancing, and that could look different casino to casino. Whether it's occupying every other slot machine, or moving them to provide social distancing. We could do things like limit folks at a particular table game. We'll have aggressive cleaning procedures, wiping down machines, tables and rails, trying to minimize touchpoints.'
Casinos also must evaluate things such as valet parking, which Bell said likely will not be offered at first, and buffet dining. Tropicana has multiple restaurants, plus a sportsbook that opened in September.
Bell noted that Gov. Eric Holcomb, in presenting his multi-phase process to reopen Indiana amid the pandemic, did not discuss reopening scenarios for casinos.
Bell surmised that might have been because of complexities casinos present.
'It's a high-touch, social environment,' Bell said. 'The challenge is, how do you find the right protective measures that give customers confidence to come back, without making it feel like a danger zone?'
Bell, though, believes mid-June is a realistic expectation for reopening. He said Indiana's casino industry will search for best practices in safety.
'We'll start to see some other markets come back in operation over the next couple weeks, so there are going to be opportunities to watch and learn,' Bell said.
Evansville city government has already cut $2.8 million from its 2020 budget due to Tropicana's closure. That cut was based on an anticipated closure of two months. A mid-June reopening would extend the closure another month, potentially forcing another budget cut.
Road paving and blight removal were among the city programs negatively impacted by the first cut.
Ellis Park examining protocols
Ellis Park, meanwhile, is working with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and Gov. Andy Beshear's office on reopening timeframes and new safety protocols.
General Manager Jeff Inman said he did not want to speculate on a reopening date for the property's historic horse racing machines and restaurant.
© SAM OWENS/ COURIER & PRESS Liz Morris, a jockey agent and retired jockey, wins the camel race as the crowd watches during the annual camel race at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., Saturday afternoon, July 6, 2019.'Safety and cleanliness are paramount,' Inman said. 'There will be 6 feet between every game. We won't reopen with a buffet. We will reopen with disposable utensils; we will wipe down often-used surfaces and will offer customers sanitizing wipes.'
The live horse racing season at Ellis Park is still scheduled to begin June 28. But there will be no live racing on Sept. 5, when the Kentucky Derby is rescheduled.
'We didn't feel we could get in the way of the Super Bowl and World Series of horse racing,' Inman said. 'Those have been very collegial talks. We want a Kentucky Derby to happen.'
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Tropicana Evansville, Ellis Park working on reopen schedules, safety protocols
We are excited and appreciative to reopen Tropicana Evansville Casino on Monday, June 15 at 10 AM CT.
As we resume operations at our properties across the country, the health and safety of our team members and guests continue to be our number one priority.
Tropicana Evansville Casino Hours
We have been working very hard over the last couple of months to prepare for the reopening and we look forward to providing the outstanding service and experiences Tropicana Evansville is known for,' said Anthony Carano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Eldorado Resorts.
