Poker players will have to wait On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved the health and safety guidelines for reopening casinos. The main takeaway for our readers: there will be no poker for a while. No date has been set yet for when Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino will be allowed… Read more »
Closed indefinitely More than three-quarters of the casinos in the United States have reopened after closing for at least two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem with celebrating being “OPEN FOR BUSINESS” is that you expose more people to the virus, especially in a crowded, closed environment like a casino. Now, I’m not… Read more »
At long last More than three months after closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Atlantic City casinos finally have a reopening date: July 2. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the date on Twitter Monday afternoon. Murphy minced no words, saying, “If any visitor refuses to comply with our simple safeguards, they’ll be escorted out,”… Read more »
Pandemic has taken its toll Live poker has already taken a series of blows to the midsection during the COVID-19 pandemic, but even when more casinos open and poker begins its comeback, it will not fully recover. Genting Casinos has decided to discontinue its live poker operations in the United Kingdom. This is not a… Read more »
The announcement this week that Caesars Entertainment would provide an 85-tournament slate of events under the “World Series of Poker” banner was met with a mixture of enthusiasm, regret and outrage. Because of some of the restrictions on the events – not by Caesars and the WSOP, mind you, but by current laws and regulations… Read more »
MGM feeling confident Las Vegas has been “reopened” for a week, so it is just about time to reopen it some more. On Tuesday, MGM Resorts International announced that Luxor, The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay Place, ARIA, Mandalay Bay proper, and Four Seasons Las Vegas will be the company’s next properties to welcome back guests.… Read more »
No date has been set for Detroit’s three commercial casinos to reopen, but they now have a set of official health and safety protocols for when they finally do welcome back guests. On Monday, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) issued its minimum guidelines that MotorCity, MGM Grand, and Greektown casinos must follow in order… Read more »
The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has announced that casinos in England can reopen in a month, on July 4.* The country’s casinos have been closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus since March 23. The government actually set July 4 as a target date last month for the third and final… Read more »
Meadows is cleared for takeoff The Meadows Racetrack & Casino will become the first of Pennsylvania’s dozen casinos to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. The facility southwest of Pittsburgh plans to welcome its first guests in over two months on Tuesday, June 9. It is able to do so because it is in Washington County,… Read more »
It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic has made a lot of professional poker players either A) very bored, or B) not very bright regarding the seriousness of the situation. The online “ghosting” sessions of Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates and other high stakes pros has once again put a black eye on the game. But it is… Read more »
Long-awaited announcement has arrived Nevada locals and tourists yearning for a trip to Las Vegas can finally get excited. On Friday, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced via a press release that “pending the evaluation of trends in Nevada’s COVID-19 data,” he will allow the state’s casinos to reopen on June 4. Casinos have been closed… Read more »
Fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the poker world, as the World Series of Poker announced on Saturday that the WSOP Circuit-ending Global Casino Championship has been moved entirely online. It was originally scheduled to be held at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in North Carolina August 11-13. The Global Casino Championship will now take place… Read more »
Casino jumped the gun A California casino was shut down by the governor for violating the state’s lockdown order just a day after it reopened. The Towers Casino in Grass Valley excitedly announced on its Facebook page that it was open on Monday after being closed for two months. Unfortunately for the casino, it was… Read more »
Governor believes tribes are jumping the gun As casinos around the United States are starting to reopen after two months of closure, California Governor Gavin Newsom wants to some Native American tribes to reconsider. On Friday, he asked the tribes that operate three casinos to think twice about getting back to business. Most tribal casinos… Read more »
King’s Resort, home of the World Series of Poker Europe, reopened its poker room on Monday. The 160-table poker room, the largest in Europe, was closed for nearly two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sister casinos Admiral Casino and King’s Prague also opened. In addition to poker, King’s Resort has also made casino games… Read more »
He said that, once he left the poker realm, he wanted to concentrate on other areas of interest in life outside the game, and he is now doing just that. Former poker professional Doug Polk has started a petition drive against Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, seeking to have the mayor recalled from office –… Read more »
“It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ‘em.” Pepper Brooks, Dodgeball (2004) In a report from the “this should go well” files, the Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan announced on Friday that it will reopen this coming Wednesday, May 6. Shutdown order not a concern But wait, you… Read more »
Though several states have begun to “reopen” in recent days, giving people who just absolutely cannot deal without a haircut the opportunity to have somebody else groom them, Nevada casinos are still shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And rightfully so. No state has even met the minimum requirements for the federal government’s “Phase 1,”… Read more »
The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent shutdown of pretty much all activity has come as a surprise to many businesses. Although the World Poker Tour has seen their live tournaments around the world shut down, they have been able to tread water well. How? By shifting their attention to online activities and working on improving their… Read more »
Just after the beginning of the year, the Commonwealth of Kentucky was moving forward with discussions regarding online gaming and poker in the state. It had been an abrupt turn for the state from its previous approaches to the controversial subject. Unfortunately, however, the discussion of online poker and gaming has been derailed by something… Read more »
Poker during a pandemic is a bad idea We were all waiting for this shoe to drop. It felt inevitable. Caesars entertainment finally announced that the 2020 World Series of Poker has been postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled to begin just over a month from now on May 26th, the goal is… Read more »
L’Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL), the French internet gaming regulatory body, has issued guidance to online gambling operators, discouraging them from offering bonuses to players. ARJEL pointed out that the combination of people being confined to their homes during the current coronavirus pandemic and the lack of sports and horse race betting… Read more »
Virus spread quickly Eight retirees ranging from age 70s to mid-90s had been getting together for a home poker game at their condo in South Florida for years. Five days a week, they played a low-stakes game like many of us might, just having a blast spending time with friends. A month ago was their… Read more »
The current lockdown of society due to the COVID-19 outbreak has brought everything to a screeching halt. This has been particularly hard on the casino industry and, by extension, the poker world. At no other point in history has the gaming industry faced such travails, but it may be even more problematic looking towards the… Read more »
Not home, but safe and comfortable Among all of the problems the COVID-19 pandemic has created, one of them is the quandary health care workers and first responders have been put in. They work so hard every day to save lives, but in turn risk the lives of their family members when they return home… Read more »
