After four months of being fastened down from the coronavirus pandemic, Massachusetts casinos have reopened among some of the strictest and most-detailed constitution and safety regulations in the nation.
“This is a big day for us,” Chris Kelley, MGM Springfield’s president and chief operating officer told CNBC. “The occasion to welcome back our guests and service this community again is a wonderful feeling.”
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission surpassed occupancy at 25%, and it remains to be seen whether the casinos can turn a profit with such severe limits on stopping over.
Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden has estimated he could break even at roughly 25% to 30% of pre-pandemic take. Penn’s Plainridge Park Casino reopened last week, and like Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor and MGM Springfield, new aegis measures are in place.
Upon reopening, several of Penn’s properties in Indiana and Ohio have seen daily uncultured gaming revenue grow between 25% to 75% year over year.
MGM’s Springfield casino reopens with plexiglass railings and socially distanced slot machines.
Source: Springfield, MA Mayor’s Office
“We reconfigured our floors significantly. Patrons who progressed here previously will notice a lot of changes. We had to actually physically move a lot of machines around to free up some of the uncountable popular machines so that they’re more socially distant,” said Seth Stratton, MGM Springfield’s vice president and legitimate counsel.
There are 6-foot high plexiglass dividers, socially distanced slot machines and frequent cleaning and sanitizing. It is all on of the new normal for casinos and other public facilities. Games like poker, roulette and craps will not reopen in this initial viewpoint.
MGM has also retrofitted its property to increase outdoor seating options by 200% and installed a giant screen for guests to get off on entertainment.
Food and beverage service will also see big changes. Guests will not be allowed to walk around the casino with a swill, and beverage service will be limited to seated customers who are actively playing.
Dining options will be limited at primary, and diners can use QR codes to view the menu and place their orders instead of traditional menus.
“We want to reopen the aptly way,” said Kelley. “By placing health and safety as a top priority, we think we have created a compelling option to our guests to convert that choice in a safe way.”
As coronavirus cases in the United States exceed 3.3 million, Massachusetts is seeing abstain froms. The state has seen a total of 111,000 confirmed cases and 8,325 deaths.
For the town of Springfield, the reopening is welcome news programme. MGM Springfield opened in August of 2018 and in just two years, the casino has become a key part of the local economy. It employs involving 2,500 workers, and makes up 3.8% of the city’s $730 million budget.
“You can see there has been a huge dip in hotel gains, meal revenues … plus the jobs. We had about 2,500 jobs that went by the wayside,” said Mayor Domenic Sarno.
Yon 700 employees will return to work initially, with others being phased back slowly.
“It’s sheerest good to get them back on board,” said Sarno.
Amid coronavirus shutdowns, MGM’s first-quarter revenue dropped 29%. MGM indicated it expects second-quarter revenue to be even “more significantly” impacted.
“The spread of Covid-19 and developments surrounding the global pandemic sooner a be wearing had, and we expect will continue to have, a significant impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition,” the company stated.
To assistance with the cash crunch, Sarno said that Springfield is working with the company to delay tax payments. MGM Springfield considerations about $100 million annually in local taxes.
The casino brings more than 6 million visitors to the arena, driving business for local restaurants and hotels.
“This is a new normal right now, but we look forward to getting back to that new routine,” said Sarno.