Bay State casinos to reopen

Although Massachusetts casinos are eligible to reopen on July 5, it’s looking far likelier that July 12 will be the dawn of a new era in the Bay State. One mandate certain to raise hackles is that players can no longer wander the gaming floor with beverage in hand. (You can imbibe whilst stationary.) Good luck enforcing that. Casinos will reopen without poker, roulette or craps, and all players will have to wear masks. Slot machines have to be six feet apart—unless the plexiglas divider is six feet high, in which case they can be four feet apart. “Every patron who comes in the door will understand … that this is an exciting opportunity to re-engage, but it’s under very different conditions because we are in a pandemic,” said Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein. Casinos are chafing to reopen, especially since they’re bleeding business to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Already carping is MGM Springfield, which is grumbling about the cost and availability of plexiglas. MGM also won’t be bothering with temperature checks of guests, although both Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park will be doing so. Good on them.