British Columbia to Require Proof of Vaccination to Enter Casinos

The government of British Columbia has announced a requirement for all individuals in the province who wish to attend social activities or visit popular attractions, such as casinos, to receive a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

Starting Sept. 13, patrons of Cascades Casino Kamloops and other casinos and gaming centers located within British Columbia, Canada, will need to present proof of full vaccination in order to enter the premises. The mandate was announced by officials following a drastic surge in cases across the province—on July 4, the seven-day rolling average was 36.1 cases per day, while on August 6, 641 new cases were reported. Despite the concerning statistic, Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that 3.5 million of the province’s residents ages 12 and older, which account for 76.1 percent of the eligible population, are fully vaccinated. A worker at Cascades Casino Kamloops is seen in the accompanying image sanitizing a machine prior to the upcoming vaccine mandate.

The BC government is implementing new measures that will help lower transmission rates, allowing communities to stay safe and businesses to remain open, as well as allowing for more social events. Those wanting to experience the events that casinos have to offer will have to adhere to the BC government’s immunization policy by September 13th. By that date, eligible people must upload their vaccination records to an online portal to receive instructions and be able to access the casino. This measure is in place until January 31st, subject to extension.

BC Casinos Working on Implementation

The BC casinos closed for 16 months due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, affecting thousands of employees. As a result, the mandate has an impact on 19 casinos and 18 bingo halls or community gaming centers. Nine of these properties are managed by the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. and the other 14 by Gateway Casinos. Both corporations are currently working on actualizing the requirement of proof of vaccination from their BC guests starting on September 13th. This follows after the mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, announced last week a similar directive for the business establishments in his city.

From a gaming point of view, the only casino in New York is Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans, recently issued an order which requires patrons of indoor venues like Harrah’s New Orleans to show proof of their vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. This order took effect last week and enforcement began this week. In addition, masks are required at all times.

Masks Also Required

On Tuesday, BC health officials announced a mandatory mask mandate to start on Wednesday, as an addition to the upcoming vaccine mandate. This order effectively covers casinos, as it states all individuals 12 and up must wear masks in any indoor settings regardless of their vaccination status. Consequently, several casinos in the province have already begun displaying messages on their websites to inform the public that masks are required in order to enter. These include the River Rock Casino Resort, the Grand Villa Casino, and Cascades Casino Kamloops.