All Casinos in Pennsylvania Ordered to Close Until 2021
The number of COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania has been on the rise and after a recent spike, the Governor has made the decision to start shutting down businesses that aid to social gatherings. The biggest industry effected by this is gambling. Read below about the new casino closures and other restrictions in PA.
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 indoor facilities 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 workers from 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 future in 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 was announced.
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:
- 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.