Page 12 - Southern California Gaming Guide • November 2020

Casino safety precautions are here to stay and include technological advances and closed Poker Room into a smoking area. The
operational changes that promote health and safety and enhance the casino experience.
It’s all about guests feeling safe while playing at the casino. Remember that all casino safety precautions are for guest and employee protection. They are not options when visiting any Southern California casino.
Safety Requirements
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and the State of California require wearing face coverings in public areas. At Southern California casinos, enforcing the wearing of face coverings is in effect. On casino floors, if a guest removes a mask, he or she will be requested toreplaceitbycasinopersonnel.Manycasinoswill requestaguestuptothreetimestoweartheirmasks, and if they do not comply, they may be asked to leave.
All Southern California casinos, guests and employees are required to wear face-coverings and to have their temperatures checked before they enter the casino.
Casino teams conduct non-invasive temperature checks using handheld temperature scanners or thermal cameras or by thermal kiosks. Anyone displaying a temperature over 100.0°F will be asked to have a secondary temporal temperature screening. Any employee or guest confirmed to have a temperature over
100.0°F will not be allowed entry and will be directed to the appropriate medical care.
Social distancing is employed by physical distancing guidelines throughout most casinos. Maintain a six- foot distance between yourself and other guests and casino employees.
At most casinos traditional buffets and entertainment venues are closed until further notice. Shuttle bus routes have been temporary suspended, along with most valet services. Before you go to a casino, check its website to find out which amenities are currently open.
Note the following current safety updates at featured Southern California casinos.
Updated Face Mask Policies
Multiple casinos across Southern California have updated their mask policies in the past few months.
In some cases, casinos have cited the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and studies that show that coverings such as bandanas and gaiters are not as effective as other kinds of face masks in helping prevent the spread of the covid-19.
At Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa Rancho Mirage and Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, bandanas, gaiters and face coverings with vents or valves are no longer allowed. Go to AguaCalienteCasinos.com for current safety guidelines.
Effective since mid-August at Sycuan Casino Resort, bandanas, gaiters and face coverings with valves are no longer allowed as viable face covering options. The casino requests its guests to please make sure to have an approved face covering on their next visits. Sycuan Casino Resort stated on its website that bandanas, gaiters and face coverings with vents/exhalation valves allow unfiltered exhaled air to escape, and are no longer recommended to be used. For additional safety precautions at Sycuan Casino Resort go to Sycuan.com.
Valley View Casino & Hotel updates its guests on its safety policies through a letter from General Manager Bruce Howard that appears on ValleyViewCasino.com. The current letter asks guests “to please wear a solid mask that safely covers their mouth and nose as opposed to a bandana, scarf, handkerchief or neckerchief, whenever seated or walking around our casino.”
Non-Smoking Casino
For guest and team member safety, Barona Resort & Casino has been a non-smoking casino with designated smoking areas for the past several months. Barona turned the temporarily
comfortable area is equipped with tables, chairs, and tv’s and has been rearranged to encourage social distancing.
For those who prefer to smoke outside, there are areas readily available outside the main entrances. They are located at the Valet Entrance, Bus Entrance, and Diamond Entrance. For more information on Barona’s non-smoking areas go to Barona.com/nonsmoking-casino/.
Check with each featured casino to find out their non-smoking guidelines, and also check for eachcasino’samenitiesbeforeyougotofindout thosethatarecurrentlyopen.
Bingo and Poker Now Open at
Sycuan Casino Resort
Sycuan Bingo is open with several health precautions to ensure your safety while playing in Sycuan Bingo Hall. Paperless Bingo limits contact with other players and Sycuan team members. The Sycuan Clean Team sanitizes every station after each block of games. All bingo players are spread out throughout the 850-seat Bingo Hall. Games have a limited capacity to ensure safe distancing between players.
Sycuan Casino Resort also announced that Poker at Sycuan is back 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with guidelines to ensure a safe playing environment. Note the following poker safety protocols: There will be 11 active poker tables, each with plexiglass between each seat. Eating is not permitted at tables at this time. Multiple hand-sanitizing stations are available throughout the Poker Room.
Guests are required to follow all Sycuan Casino Resort health and safety protocols in the Sycuan Health & Sanitation program. Know what to expect and what’s expected of you prior to your next visit by visiting Sycuan.com/casino/san-diego- poker-room-at-sycuan-casino/#protocols.
PAGE 12
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2020