BC casinos prepare for reopening with uncertainty
Over a year has gone by since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry ordered casinos in British Columbia to close their doors. Since then, there have been no indications as to whether or not BC casinos prepare for reopening any time soon.
Amidst a wave of changing tides for online gambling and sports betting legislation in Canada, BC casinos are losing revenue with no real recourse. In the meantime, operators are optimistic, putting funds towards remodelling and preparing for the possibility of reopening within the next year.
Long-term plans
No definite time frame has been released, but talks are in progress for getting gaming operations up and running again. Director of eGaming operations with the BC Lottery Corporation, Stewart Groumoutis, says BCLC is working closely with casinos, WorkSafeBC, and the Provincial Health Officer to figure out the best conditions for bringing players and staff back in, but they haven’t established any clear dates.
“It’s a complex consideration for what that looks like for reopening. We are in constant contact, and we can say that the conversations are very positive. Everybody recognizes this is something we all collectively want to happen,” said Groumoutis.
An energy sink
Despite the year-long closures, costs of game floor operations have continued. Surprised passersby can watch the colourful flashing lights of slot machines from casino windows, even though no one has made a bet in months. With no players there to try their luck, there’s no money coming in. But the electricity it takes to run the machines and the air conditioning it takes to cool them can add up to tens of thousands of dollars in bills.
From the outside, it makes no sense, but operators say that regulations from the BCLC dictate that the machines must stay on. The B.C. Lottery Corporation says the order is to “support the long term functionality and integrity of the devices and systems and required system upgrades.” The BC Gaming Industry Association says that the casino shutdown was never meant to last this long, however. In a statement, they said, “We (believed) that the requirement to leave the equipment and systems powered on was based on a belief that the closure would not last for an extended period.”
Investing for the future
Another drain on casino resources is the preparations taken to rearrange gaming floors to comply with anticipated reopening restrictions. Actual casino floor restrictions haven’t been released publicly by the Provincial Health Officer or the BCLC, but casinos in other provinces and businesses that have been allowed to reopen offer clues as to the potential social distancing and sanitation requirements.
One casino in Kelowna has spent upwards of $2 million to readjust the gaming floor. Stan Walt, the independent owner of Chances Gaming, says they did away with over 10,000 sq. ft. of bingo seats and made room to distance their slot machines. He detailed the change, saying, “I have lost 50 machines, 400 bingo seats, and spread out all of the gaming floor so if you were to sit at any slot machine, you wouldn’t be within two meters of the person next to you.” Walt has also reutilized unused ventilation equipment in the building, allowing for a total circulation of new air six times every hour.
Going Online
Players may not be going to the casinos, but many are still gambling, according to the BCLC. In the past 11 months, PlayNow.com, the online gambling portal available in the province, has had a 131% revenue increase. The Lottery Corporation hopes to have a more complete view of how shutdowns have affected this shift when they complete their 2020/21 annual report in April.
Board Chair Peter Kappel believes that the income gained online this year probably doesn’t compare though, saying, “while many players moved their play to our online channel, PlayNow.com, this migration was unable to make up for the revenue lost from brick-and-mortar channels.” With sports betting bill C-218 still making its way through legislation and online gaming operations still illegal for casinos, players may be relying on mostly offshore brands to gamble at home.
Sooner or later
Now, BC remains the only jurisdiction where casinos remain closed, even refusing reopenings under strict guidelines. Tanya Gabara, public relations director of Gateway Casinos, remarks this during talks about the reconfigurations Cascades Casino in Langley City has made ready for reopening. BC has “completely refused to permit casinos to re-open, even in a restricted manner, during the pandemic,” and she says she is “confident that we can operate our facilities in a safe and responsible manner.”
Casino operators understand that reopening doesn’t mean they’ll be operating at full capacity right away. Stan Walt says most of the work he’s done to update Chances Gaming for the return of players took place early last year in anticipation of a summer reopening that never came, but he understands that it may be a while before he sees the casino full again. Still, Walt is optimistic and says he wants to bring bingo back eventually. “Whether that’s 2022, 2023, I’m excited because I have that adaptability, and can do it easily and quickly without any disruption to the customer base,” he says.
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