PHOENIX — Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte, and Vee Quiva casinos are reopening Thursday after a recent coronavirus-related closure.
Gila River Hotels and Casinos shut down the three properties in mid-Juneafter employees expressed concern over health and safety measures. One employee at the Lone Butte location died from coronavirus,according to his family.
During the two-week closure, they reportedly implemented further health and safety protocols. According to the company, those now include:
- Non-smoking at all properties with designated smoking areas
- Casino will close from 2 a.m. - 10 a.m. daily for deep-cleaning
- Providing paid leave of absence for at-risk team members
- COVID-19 testing for team members every two weeks
- Mandatory temperature checks for team members and guests upon arrival
- Mandatory face coverings/masks for all team members and guests
- Extensive disinfection procedures
- Best available training to protect workers and all visitors
- Guests will be advised to practice physical distancing
- Casino floors and gaming tables have been redesigned to ensure physical distancing and reduced occupancy
- Plexiglass separation enhancements on slot machines
- 100 total Sanitation Stations on gaming floor and back of house with bright green signage
- New "Cleaning Alert System" on all slots - allows you to alert a cleaning ambassador if you would like your slot machine cleaned
- Increased cleaning ambassador team members
- External cleaning company Landcorp. deep-cleaned all properties including back of house team member areas
- Ongoing training for continuous and rigorous sanitation measures as best practices evolve
Gila River Hotels and Casinos also closed in March, "...to do our part to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19),” Kenneth Manuel, CEO of Gila River Hotels & Casinos, said in a statement at the time. They reopened in mid-May when Governor Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order expired.
