Anyone wanting to try their luck at the Treasure Cove Casino might not have to wait too much longer.
Under step three of BC’s four-phased plan, casinos and gaming centres could re-open as early as July 1st.
The reopening date is contingent on COVID-19 case counts, vaccination rates for residents 18+, as well as hospitalizations and mortality numbers.
In an interview with Vista Radio, BC Lottery Corporation spokesperson, Lara Gerrits says the past 14 months have been challenging for the sector.
“There are 10,000 people who are directly employed by casinos and community gaming centres right across BC. We really wanted to put the health and safety of our communities at the forefront.”
“In 2019 and 2020, casinos and community gaming centres like the Treasure Cove generated about 929 million dollars in net income for the province and that money goes back to supporting things like healthcare and education.”
She added facilities like the Treasure Cove will have plexiglass installed on every machine and some of the bingo offerings will move to the show lounge.
“This really brings us one step closer to reopening the casino industry and we are really pleased to be included in Phase 3 of the restart plan to safely bring people back together again,” added Gerrits.
All casinos including Treasure Cove were forced to close in March of 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, 12 local governments across the province including Quesnel and Williams Lake penned a letter asking the provincial government to re-open these facilities.
PG Mayor Lyn Hall admitted while his council did not receive the letter, they wanted casinos to be given the same consideration to re-open as other sectors.
“When you start to take a look at reopening various things it’s all under the umbrella of making sure the public and the employees are safe and the health restrictions under the current pandemic rules are followed.”
“As a community, city, and as a province, for me, it’s about the orders from Doctor Henry and Minister Dix. Those are important for us to follow and really what I am asking is will there be a consideration given to casinos and if there is a consideration given, I certainly understand and respect it would be under certain health guidelines and conditions.”
Because of the casino closure, PG didn’t see between 2.2 and 2.6 million dollars in gaming revenue last year.