Gamblers in Illinois will now be able to get back to their favorite casinos as regulators create a reopening plan. The new guidelines will make it compulsory for patrons to wear masks and keep buffet offerings shut.

Casinos to reopen soon

The Illinois Gaming Board hasn’t provided an exact guideline on when the 10 casinos of the state could reopen. However, each of these casinos now has to submit a plan to outline how operators would be cleaning and sanitizing their facilities. They also have to tell how they will provide employees with protective equipment. They will also have to suggest how they will be keeping gamblers safely distanced from each other and manage other regulatory approvals.

Some of the industry perks will also be getting a green light. This will include buffets, valet parking, table game tournaments, poker rooms. It will also constitute any

“promotions that require patrons to cluster and/or that cannot be conducted in compliance with current 6-foot social distancing requirements.”

The guidelines given by Illinois regulators match that of Nevada, where gaming properties have been open since June 4. The authorities and casinos are following extensive safety and sanitizing guidelines to protect people in high traffic areas and high-touch surfaces.

What do Illinois casinos plan?

Just like Indiana, where casinos are scheduled to reopen on June 15, Illinois properties will also have to stick to 50% of their capacity. This could change on the basis of public health conditions at the time of reopening. The gaming properties are also required to provide personal protective equipment like masks for free. They must also do daily health screenings of the employees and post signage throughout the premises that remind patrons of social distancing and properly washing their hands. They will also be required to disinfect all gaming equipment like chips, cards, dice, and roulette wheels regularly.

The administrator of the Gaming Board, Marcus Fruchter said in a memo to operators,

“The IGB is committed to the safe, fair, deliberate, consistent, and regulatory compliant resumption of casino gambling. The timing and conditions for such a resumption will be based upon public health guidance and metrics, and will proceed within the framework of Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan.”

The regulators also require the employees and gamblers to wear some kind of face-covering at all times.