In early 2018 auctions began for licenses of Category 4 mini casinos, otherwise known as satellite casinos. Although ten licenses were available, only five were sold. The COVID-19 pandemic closed all commercial and tribal casino properties in the United States. This map tracks reopening across the country at the property-level. A property is considered open based on gambling availability. Please contact an individual property to determine what amenities are available. Current Status: 82 Closed 915 Open.
As of December 12th, 12:01 am, all land-based casinos in Pennsylvania have been ordered to close down until January 4th, 2021.
PA Governor Tom Wolf made the announcement after a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.
As of Saturday, the following casinos will not be operating until the New Year (2021):
- Harrah's Philadelphia
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Lady Luck Nemacolin
- Live! Casino Pittsburgh
- Meadows Casino and Racetrack
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- Mount Airy Casino Resort
- Parx Casino
- Presque Isle Racetrack and Casino
- Rivers Pittsburgh
- Valley Forge Casino and Resort
- Wind Creek Bethlehem
Rivers Philadelphia isn't on the list because the casino has been closed since late November and will stay closed until further notice.
The Governor himself recently tested positive for COVID-19 and has not only put a stop to all land-based gambling, but also bar and restaurant dining, school sports, gyms, and other indoorfacilities that promote social gatherings.
Gov. Tom Wolf commented:
'With these measures in place, we hope to accomplish three goals. First, stop the devastating spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Second, keep our hospitals and healthcare workersfrom becoming overwhelmed. And third, help Pennsylvanians get through the holiday season — and closer to a widely available vaccine — as safely as possible. This is a bridge to a better futurein Pennsylvania.'
Brick and mortars were following a number of safety precautions in an effort to stay open, including only holding half the casino's capacity and enforcing everyone to wear a mask.
Casinos have not had to close their doors since the last lockdown over the summer. Even most of the poker rooms had just reopened and gotten back to business when the new shutdown wasannounced.
Online Casinos still Operating
Online casinos and sportsbooks will not be affected by the new regulations, which is good news for a lot of operators.
PlayLive! Casino just opened its land-based property less than a month before the closures were put into effect but launched its online site back in September.
Residents in Pennsylvania have access to the following online casinos:
Pennsylvania Casino Closures
- PlaySugarHouse
- BetRivers
- Unibet
- FanDuel
- Hollywood Casino
- BetAmerica
- BetMGM
- PokerStars
- Parx Casino
- PlayLive! Casino
- Wind Creek Casino
- DraftKings
- Caesars Casino
The earliest land-based casinos will be able to re-open is January 4th, 2021, but could be pushed longer if there is no change in the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state.
COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania are at record highs. On Nov. 13, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported that there were 5,531 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 254,387. It is the fourth consecutive day that the state has reported a record number of cases.
Play Pennsylvania asked the PA Department of Health if the rising numbers meant a return to the color-coded phases and possible temporary closures for casinos in Pennsylvania.
A representative responded:
'There is no plan at this time to return to the red, yellow, green mitigation steps and stay-at-home order that occurred in the spring.'
Some tips to slow the spread
The PA Department of Health reiterated that it was very concerned about the increase in cases. The representative said:
'We currently have protections in place, like wearing a mask and limits on large gatherings. Pennsylvanians can stop the spread. It is all of our responsibility to do the right thing. These are things that we can continue to do to stop the spread of COVID-19:
- Teleworking.
- Isolating or quarantining if you test positive or have exposure to someone who has.
- Businesses limiting capacity to 50%.'
More restrictions for Philadelphia?
Of the record number of cases reported on Friday, 1,158 were from Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney's office did not provide any indication of what its 'changes in restrictions' might be and said they are still being finalized. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley earlier this week said all restrictions are being considered, even a complete lockdown, according to Yahoo! News.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia is currently the only casino within the city limits. Live! Casino Philadelphia is expected to open in early 2021.
Rivers Philadelphia closed in mid-March and reopened on July 17. It experienced the longest closure of all 12 casinos in the commonwealth.
We must do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Philadelphia. Specific details are still being finalized, but we plan to announce changes to restrictions on Monday, November 16. https://t.co/fgAPsfbU3P
— Jim #MaskUpPHL Kenney (@PhillyMayor) November 13, 2020
Health and safety protocols at PA casinos
Before you visit a casino in Pennsylvania, there are few things you should know. Your next visit will look different than your previous pre-coronavirus-closure casino excursion. Per the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), all casinos in the state must follow COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols, which detail the minimum safety and health-related requirements that are mandatory before reopening.
Key points to remember are:
- Casinos can reopen at 50% capacity.
- Employees and guests must wear masks.
- There are markings on the floor to promote social distancing.
- Enhanced cleaning is required throughout the facility.
Eating, drinking and smoking at PA casinos
In addition to the increased health and safety measures, some staples of casino visits have been put on a temporary pause.
Alcohol can only be served when food is purchased. Drink service on the casino floor is prohibited.
These new rules went into effect well before the November record-breaking numbers.
Under the guidance of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the PGCB, there is currently no smoking in Pennsylvania casinos either (effective July 3).
Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine signed orders that mandated restaurants can't serve alcohol for on-site consumption past 11 p.m. (effective Sept 21).
A representative responded:
'There is no plan at this time to return to the red, yellow, green mitigation steps and stay-at-home order that occurred in the spring.'
Some tips to slow the spread
The PA Department of Health reiterated that it was very concerned about the increase in cases. The representative said:
'We currently have protections in place, like wearing a mask and limits on large gatherings. Pennsylvanians can stop the spread. It is all of our responsibility to do the right thing. These are things that we can continue to do to stop the spread of COVID-19:
- Teleworking.
- Isolating or quarantining if you test positive or have exposure to someone who has.
- Businesses limiting capacity to 50%.'
More restrictions for Philadelphia?
Of the record number of cases reported on Friday, 1,158 were from Philadelphia. Mayor Jim Kenney's office did not provide any indication of what its 'changes in restrictions' might be and said they are still being finalized. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley earlier this week said all restrictions are being considered, even a complete lockdown, according to Yahoo! News.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia is currently the only casino within the city limits. Live! Casino Philadelphia is expected to open in early 2021.
Rivers Philadelphia closed in mid-March and reopened on July 17. It experienced the longest closure of all 12 casinos in the commonwealth.
We must do everything we can to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Philadelphia. Specific details are still being finalized, but we plan to announce changes to restrictions on Monday, November 16. https://t.co/fgAPsfbU3P
— Jim #MaskUpPHL Kenney (@PhillyMayor) November 13, 2020
Health and safety protocols at PA casinos
Before you visit a casino in Pennsylvania, there are few things you should know. Your next visit will look different than your previous pre-coronavirus-closure casino excursion. Per the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), all casinos in the state must follow COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols, which detail the minimum safety and health-related requirements that are mandatory before reopening.
Key points to remember are:
- Casinos can reopen at 50% capacity.
- Employees and guests must wear masks.
- There are markings on the floor to promote social distancing.
- Enhanced cleaning is required throughout the facility.
Eating, drinking and smoking at PA casinos
In addition to the increased health and safety measures, some staples of casino visits have been put on a temporary pause.
Alcohol can only be served when food is purchased. Drink service on the casino floor is prohibited.
These new rules went into effect well before the November record-breaking numbers.
Under the guidance of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the PGCB, there is currently no smoking in Pennsylvania casinos either (effective July 3).
Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine signed orders that mandated restaurants can't serve alcohol for on-site consumption past 11 p.m. (effective Sept 21).
Hours of PA casinos
Casinos in Pennsylvania started to close in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus. They were closed for over 100 days before the first few started welcoming back guests in June. However, not all returned to around-the-clock operations.
Casinos in PA open 24 hours:
- Parx
- Presque Isle
- Rivers Casino Philadelphia
- Rivers Casino Pittsburgh (starting Nov. 16)
- Mount Airy Casino
- Wind Creek Casino
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- Harrah's Philadelphia
Which Pa Casinos Are Closed
Hours of other casinos in PA
The Meadows:
- Sunday-Thursday, 8-4 a.m.
- Friday-Saturday, 8-5 a.m.
Valley Forge Casino :
- Monday-Thursday, 10-3 a.m. Open 24 hours, 10 a.m. Friday through 3 a.m. Monday.
Hollywood Casino:
- Closed daily from 4 to 8 a.m. for deep cleaning.
Lady Luck Nemacolin:
- Open 24 hours for slot gaming
- Table games hours:
Monday-Friday, 3-12 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.-12 a.m.
1% of casino employees test positive
The PGCB released figures last week that showed that fewer than 1% of casinos employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the 12 brick-and-mortar locations opened in June. Rivers Pittsburgh had 28 cases and Parx had 25. A full breakdown can be found here.
Online casinos in PA
If you are 21+ and physically located in Pennsylvania, you don't even have to leave your home to play. There are now 11 online casinos in Pennsylvania. Things got even livelier this week as Caesars and FanDuellaunched online live dealer games.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
