Grass Valley based Towers Casino in Casino has shut down after defying closure orders. The casino opened its card room on Monday.

Shut down on Tuesday

The state had ordered all casinos to remain shut but Towers Casino decided to defy the orders and open its card room for the public on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom took cognizance of the matter and immediately issued an order for the venue to shut down its operations immediately. However, it is unclear if the authorities will be taking any further action against the property for defying orders.

The casino has a six-table poker room of which three tables were open for cash games. The casino announced its reopening on social media and shared an image of one of its games as well. Though the photo suggests that everyone was wearing masks, there was not much social distancing in practice.

Note that the Nevada County in the state was allowed to move through the second phase of the governor’s reopening plans more quickly. However, this order is not applicable to Grass Valley where Towers Casino is located.

In phase two of reopening, dine-in restaurants, malls, and child care centers can reopen with certain guidelines in place. The state has a four-phase reopening plan and covers casinos and card rooms in the third phase. There is no clear indication as to when the third phase will be implemented.

Exemption to tribal casinos

Tribal casinos in the state are all set to reopen for business. Though the governor has urged them to remain closed for longer, he also acknowledged that they have the right to reopen their premises. Tribal casinos operate on sovereign land, which means that they are exempt from orders of the local and state government. Towers Casino is not a tribal facility. Instead, it is a commercial property licensed by the California Gambling Control Commission. Hence, it must stick with the rules set down by the Bureau of Gambling Control under the Department of Justice.

Even tribal casinos are not in a hurry to reopen and most have preferred to stay close until June. Only three properties have decided to reopen this week which include the Valley View Casino, the Sycuan Casino Resort, and Viejas Casino and Resort.