WinStar casino in Oklahoma to reopen after closing for 2 months over coronavirus
North Texans: If you feel like gambling, there’s good news for you.
The casino many in North Texas head to — the WinStar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma — will reopen Wednesday.
WinStar, like other casinos across the country, has been closed since mid-March because of the rapid spread of coronavirus.
But just know that if you decide to head there soon, some things will be a little different.
You’ll have your temperature taken before you get to go inside. If it’s 100.4 or higher, you’ll be asked to go home and talk to your doctor.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said businesses everywhere are starting to reopen and he’s not surprised that WinStar is among them.
But he said he won’t plan a trip there with his mother-in-law, who is a fan of casinos, for about a month, just to see how it goes.
“They are going to figure this out,” he said. “We’ve got to begin to open this up again and just be careful.”
A note on the WinStar website lays out some changes:
▪ The number of people inside will be no more than 25% the building’s capacity. And even though casinos traditionally never close, WinStar will shut its doors between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. every day for a “deep-cleaning of all areas of the gaming floor using electrostatic spraying techniques with EPA-certified chemicals.”
▪ Some electronic games will be moved. Poker, table games, bingo and off-track betting are suspended until further notice.
▪ People will be encouraged to social distance. To help with that, every other chair will be removed from electronic games.
▪ Hand sanitizer stations will be throughout the casino. Customers and employees alike will have to wear face masks or some face covering.
▪ And, when the occupancy limit is reached, the casino will let customers wait outside until they can enter.
Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said North Texans should “make a wise decision” for themselves and their families if they decide to head to a casino.
“If you’re going to be out, make sure you social distance and wear a mask.”
