Towers Casino Shut Down
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has voted to shut down operations at the state's casinos in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. An expeditious and orderly shutdown process. All bets are off: Illinois casinos ordered to shut down due to coronavirus Gov. Pritzker previously urged establishments to call off gatherings of 250 people or more.
Shut down the next day
The Towers Casino in Grass Valley, California was open for card games on Monday despite the state order forbidding them from doing so. The very next day, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order for the venue to shut down its operations, according to the facility’s employees.
- Towers Casino located in Grass Valley posted via social media and their website that they were back in business on Monday. One day later, agents from the state’s Department of Justice raided the facility, shutting them down. Busting Up Casino Operations.
- 223 Towers Casino in Grass Valley, Calif., opened for poker on Monday, but the next day, it closed the next day after California Department of Justice officers visited the establishment, according to media and social media reports.
- LAGUNA PUEBLO, N.M. (KRQE) – Route 66 Casino Hotel is shutting down for the next two weeks. A spokesman for the casino says officials made the decision to close the casino Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
It is unclear if further action will be taken by the authorities against the owners of this casino.
In the six-table poker room, there were three tables open for cash games. The Monday reopening of the card room was announced through the casino’s social media, with an image of one of its games making its way onto Twitter:
Disregarding state orders
While California’s Nevada County was given approval to move more quickly through phase two of the state’s reopening plans, the permission does not cover casinos such as Towers Casino. Thus, the reason for the forced closure.
Phase two only covers malls, dine-in restaurants, and child care centers once certain guidelines are followed. There are four phases in total as part of the state’s reopening plan, with the likes of card rooms and casinos able to open in phase three. There is no clear indication yet of when phase three will be launched.
it must adhere to the rules of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control
Towers Casino Shut Down Shut
Towers Casino is not a tribal facility and is licensed by the California Gambling Control Commission. Therefore, it must adhere to the rules of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control.
Tribal casinos exempt
There are some tribal casinos in the state that are ready to open for business. Governor Newsom urged these tribal facilities to remain closed, but acknowledged that they do have the right to open. This is because they are on sovereign land, making them exempt from local and state government orders.
Health and safety policies
While Towers Casino has posted signs informing patrons of sanitizing policies and it is evident in the above photo that the players are all wearing masks, it does not appear that there was much social distancing at the poker table.
Some locals were happy that the facility had reopened. Kindra Nelson told Sacramento’s CBS13:
I’d feel safe going anywhere and if I don’t I’d wear a mask and gloves.”
As per the Towers Casino website, all workers are to follow strict health and safety guidelines. This includes sanitizing all chips once they have been cashed in, as well as regularly sanitizing cup holders and the railings of the table games after each person has left the table.
Major casino companies have been publishing their own extensive health and safety plans for reopening. MGM Resorts International, for instance, has a seven-point plan, and both Las Vegas Sands and Caesars Entertainment have also released their new protocols in recent weeks.
Despite coronavirus restrictions still in place regarding gambling establishments and other entertainment venues, a casino in Northern California decided to go ahead and reopen. Towers Casino located in Grass Valley posted via social media and their website that they were back in business on Monday. One day later, agents from the state’s Department of Justice raided the facility, shutting them down.
Busting Up Casino Operations:
The incident was made public after several videos were posted on social media by guests and employees of the casino. In one video, an agent of the DOJ says it will not be a permanent closure but an emergency one.
According to Sacbee.com…
Towers Casino Shut Down Games
Brandt Jeffrey, who is reportedly a poker dealer for the casino based on his Facebook profile, posted two videos earlier in the week, showing about six agents with police vests and surgical masks standing around the poker table. They explained to those onsite that they would have to stop their game and the facility must close.
In the video, it appears as though Jamey Robinson, the owner of the casino, is protesting the shutdown by speaking loudly. She states that the raid is unconstitutional. She pulled her mask down while speaking, stating she was shocked by the occurrence.
The owner counts everyone at the Towers Casino and says that with less than 15 people, counting employees and the agents, that the maximum amount is nowhere near being reached. The property is allowed 180 people. She then says the agents are increasing the transmission risk of the virus by coming to the facility from out of town.
Towers Casino Shut Down Unexpectedly
Apparently, the Grass Valley Police Department had requested the facility shut down. However, the owner refused. According to the owner, she was cleared to open by the health officials in Nevada County.
When speaking to the agents, the owner is seen asking on the video why the entire property has to shut down. She also operates a bar and restaurant. The agents appear to give staff members a copy of the stay at home order as their answer.