What Manitoba casinos will look like when they reopen

WINNIPEG — Manitoba casinos have been given the green light to reopen, giving Manitobans the chance to play as early as Saturday.

Even though casinos will be allowed to reopen as of July 25, they will look different from when they closed down in March.

Following the release of Manitoba's Phase Four reopening plan – which allows casinos to open at 30 per cent capacity – the South Beach Casino and Resort has announced it will be opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

"There will be significant changes to our gaming and our property, in general, to ensure that all our patrons and our employees are as safe as possible," Victor Da Mata, the chief financial officer for South Beach, told CTV News.

Da Mata said physical distancing will be enforced in the casino and restaurant. All table games, including Black Jack and Roulette games, have been removed completely to allow for more physical distancing.

Some slot machines will be shut off to ensure there is proper distance between players; other machines have been moved to separate areas in the casino.

"We're taking safety very seriously," he said, adding there will be safety ambassadors walking around the casino to wipe and disinfect all machines when players finish.

All employees will be wearing facemasks, and there will be multiple hand sanitizing stations around the casino.

He said the casino gaming floor will also be sprayed with disinfectant each night.

"We recognize that our clientele, especially during the week, tends to lean more on the older side," Da Mata said.

"We know those people will be particularly impressed with our enhanced safety measures."

WINNIPEG CASINOS TO OPEN ON WEDNESDAY

A spokesperson for Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries told CTV News that Casinos of Winnipeg, including Club Regent and McPhillips Station Casino, will reopen on Wednesday, July 29. The casinos will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m.

The Club Regent Event Centre is temporarily closed until further notice.

A full list of measures put in place at the Casinos of Winnipeg can be found online.