Posted on: June 8, 2021. Last updated on: January 25, 2024
It’s been a few months now since Canadian casinos got closed due to the continuing pandemic of Covid-19. Fans of casino games all over the country are patiently waiting for their local gambling facilities to resume work. However, up until this point, it’s been unclear when exactly Great Canadian Gaming and other gambling corporations will reopen all of their brick-and-mortar casinos. As of today, certain casinos are finally opening their doors to clients, while others are soon expected to follow. Find more information on the reopening date of Canadian casinos further below.
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Brief Overview of the Current Situation With Canadian Casinos
It’s not the first time over the last year that Canadian casino operators have had to halt all physical casino operations as a response to the spread of Covid-19. Many venues reopened throughout the summer and early spring of 2020, only to be closed again in November and December under new Covid-19 regulations. Now, after two months of another period of total lockdown for casinos, separate provinces have received the green light to reopen local gambling facilities, but for many parts of the country, the reopening date for casinos is still unclear.
Effects of the Pandemic: Is It All Bad?
To say that Covid-19 has negatively affected or even crippled certain industries is not to say anything. Gambling is a favorite pastime of many Canadian citizens who are now deprived of the pleasure of going to a local casino to play their favorite games. Many fan-favorite places to gamble in Canada such as Casino Rama in Ontario have been closed for almost a year now. Even as venues reopen with the eventual lift of quarantine, some clients will not be coming back for a while due to safety concerns. This is negatively impacting the gambling business and its beneficiaries. After all, gaming revenue is used to fund many charitable and non-profit organizations in Canada. On the other hand, it’s not all losses for gamblers. Online gambling is on the rise as players turn to internet casinos for the gambling experience. Online casinos are fun, efficient, and simple in use, which makes waiting for the reopening date of a favorite brick-and-mortar casino much easier.
When Will Casinos Open in Ontario and Other Provinces?
The administration is slowly lifting quarantine in separate areas, giving casinos the go-ahead to reopen. However, with many restrictions and regulations such as the 50-person limit on all indoor gatherings, some casinos will not open that soon. Moreover, with no table games or catering zones allowed, gambling facilities will not appeal to a great number of clients. Let’s take a brief look at which casinos are now open or planning to resume work in the nearest time, as well as those that might remain closed for a while.
- As of now, two casinos in Nova Scotia are open — Casino Nova Scotia Halifax and Casino Nova Scotia Sydney.
- British Columbia casinos under Great Canadian Gaming Corp. are currently closed with no prior announcement of a reopening date in sight.
- New Brunswick’s Casino New Brunswick reopened on February 12
- Many Ontario casinos have opened now, including most Gateway Casinos gambling venues, Starlight Casino Point Edward, Playtime Casino Hanover, etc.
- Gateway Casinos Innisfil and Casino Rama are still closed but expected to reopen by March.
- Shorelines Casinos opened on February 16
- Elements Casinos are closed, the reopening date has not been announced yet.
| Ontario | Current Status |
| Casino Woodbine – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed October 9 |
| Elements Casino Mohawk – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed November 15 |
| Great Blue Heron Casino – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed November 22 |
| Elements Casino Grand River – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 14 |
| Elements Casino Brantford – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 20 |
| Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands – Closed | Reopened September 28; Guest capacity 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 24 |
| Shorelines Slots at Kawartha Downs – Closed | Reopened September 28; Guest capacity 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 24 |
| Shorelines Casino Peterborough – Closed | Reopened September 28; Guest capacity 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 24 |
| Elements Casino Flamboro – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed November 15 |
| Shorelines Casino Belleville – Closed | Reopened September 28; Guest capacity 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed December 24 |
| Casino Ajax – Closed | Reopened September 28 with guest capacity of 50, no table games or food and beverage amenities; Closed November 22 |
New Brunswick
| New Brunswick | Current Status |
| Casino New Brunswick – Reopening at 10am AST on Friday, February 12 | Reopened September 28; Closed October 9; Reopened October 23 with guest capacity approximately 25% of pre-closure capacity, and limited table games and food and beverage amenities; Closed January 20; Reopening on February 12 |
British Columbia
| British Columbia | Current Status |
| All properties in British Columbia – Closed | All properties in British Columbia closed since March 16 |
Nova Scotia
| Nova Scotia | Current Status |
| Casino Nova Scotia Halifax – Open | Reopened October 5 with guest capacity of approximately 20% pre-closure capacity; limited table games and food and beverage amenities introduced November 12; Closed beginning November 26; Reopened January 11 |
| Casino Nova Scotia Sydney – Open | Reopened October 5; Guest capacity approximately 20% of pre-closure capacity, no table games and limited food and beverage amenities |
Conclusion
As you can see, the prognosis for the reopening of Canadian casinos is quite good. A number of gambling venues have already reopened in separate areas, where the COVID-19 situation and the health regulations allow it. As Great Canadian Gaming has been releasing news about reopening casinos, we are optimistic about the developments as the quarantine is gradually lifted. Of course, you should keep in mind that casinos are not operating in full capacity as many things, including table games, food, and beverages, and more than 50 visitors at a time, are still prohibited.
Still, analysts are hopeful about 2021 and expect many more casinos to reopen within the next month.
Sources:
- https://www.canada.ca/en.html
- https://canadiangaming.ca/covid-19-and-the-impact-on-canadas-gaming-industry/
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