Connect with us

Gambling in the USA

Barona Resort & Casino to Begin Phased Re-Opening Today, May 27, 2020

Published

on

 

After a two-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barona Resort & Casino will begin to re-open to the public in phases at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. In response to the pandemic, Barona Resort & Casino closed in mid-March to protect the health and safety of its players, staff, Tribal members and surrounding community.

Barona has always had the highest standards for cleanliness and is known for its dedication to the guiding principle of always being Clean, Polite and Honest. With that as the foundation, Barona Resort & Casino’s phased re-opening is centered on a robust Barona Cares Health and Safety Plan which includes increased and continuous disinfecting and cleaning protocols, limiting capacity, social distancing policies, required facial coverings for all staff and players, infrared temperature checks, health and hygiene reminders property-wide, and the entire casino is non-smoking.

“Our first concern is always the health and wellness of Barona’s Tribal elders and Tribal community along with all of our staff, our players and surrounding community,” said Chairman Edwin “Thorpe” Romero, Barona Band of Mission Indians. “We consider ourselves one big family and our goal is to ensure the wellbeing of our friends and family as we slowly begin to welcome players back to Barona. We want them to have fun but most importantly we want them to feel safe and protected.”

At the onset of the pandemic, Barona established a Barona Cares Task Force to coordinate the casino’s closure, as well as to develop a phased plan for the re-opening that focuses on significant public health measures to ensure the safety and cleanliness of Barona Resort & Casino.

“Over the years, Barona has received many accolades throughout the gaming industry and most importantly from our players as being the cleanest and safest casino,” said Rick Salinas, general manager, Barona Resort & Casino. “We have spent the past two months developing a thoughtful plan which enhances our already robust standards and addresses the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with all of the applicable guidelines.”

With the well-being of the casino’s players, staff and Tribal community as the top priority, the first phase of the plan includes the following guidelines:

Temperature screenings using infrared thermometers and wellness checks will be required for all players and staff inside their vehicle as they arrive on property. Anyone with a temperature above 100 or other symptoms will be politely asked to leave the property and seek medical advice;

Players and staff will be required to sanitize their hands before entering the casino or hotel;

Face coverings will be required for all players and staff;

The entire casino will be non-smoking, and Barona’s triple-stage air filtration system will continuously disinfect the air and kill 99% of germs and viruses using germicidal UVC light technology;

No one under 18 will be allowed on property;

Every other slot machine will be turned off and chairs will be removed. Slot machines and chairs will be disinfected after each player;

Table games have been reduced and will be limited to three players per table to ensure social distancing. Disinfecting dice, table game rails, and chairs after every player; and touchless wagering at table games which means players never touch the chips;

Enhanced disinfecting protocols and increased sanitizing throughout the casino around the clock, especially at high touch point areas. Barona will only use disinfectants that are effective against viruses and meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidelines;

All staff members will be required to attend PPE/COVID-19 training;

Social distancing policies, signage and floor markers throughout the casino and entire property;

Plexiglass dividers have been installed property wide in areas where appropriate between players and staff including Club Barona booths, cashier cage, all point-of-service stations in the food court, Sage Café, hotel check-in, various back of the house areas, among others;

Health and hygiene reminders placed throughout the property and back of the house reminding staff and players to social distance, wear their face coverings properly, wash hands frequently and remember not to touch their face. All staff will be required to wash their hands before and after breaks and continuously wash or sanitize their hands during their shift;

Increased availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer stations throughout the entire property; and

A phased re-opening of restaurants will begin in the first phase. The buffet will remain closed.

Every Barona staff member has been trained with the new added responsibility of helping to make sure everyone is following the health and safety measures. Even the beloved Barona Party People will be responsible for reminding players to wear their face coverings, follow social distancing policies and to remember to wash or sanitize their hands frequently and not touch their face.

During the first phase, Barona will begin opening restaurants in a phased approach starting with Sage Café and the food court. Sage Café will open with reduced capacity, disposable placemat menus and continual disinfecting measures. With plexiglass dividers at the counters, the food court will package all food in to-go containers, there will be no self-service beverage stations and tables will be reduced by 50 percent for socially distanced seating. Gameside dining will be available at slot machines but not table games.

The hotel will re-open in phases starting at approximately 35 percent capacity, but the pool, spa and fitness center will remain closed.

The Barona Creek Golf Club, Pro Shop and snack bar will remain closed with a planned reopening in mid-June.

Additional features that will remain closed for the safety of staff and players include the poker room, buffet, valet services, gift shop, car wash, Barona Oaks Steakhouse, Italian Cucina, and Plaza Grill as well as the wedding chapel and events center. Barona’s bussing program has also been discontinued until further notice.

For additional details about the re-opening plan, visit www.barona.com.

 

About Barona Resort & Casino:

Named “Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas” by USA TODAY in the 2019 10Best and Best Casino, Loosest Slots and Best Buffet for nine consecutive years in the San Diego Union-Tribune Best of Readers Poll, Barona Resort & Casino is the ultimate gaming entertainment destination. For information, visit www.barona.com or call toll free 888-7-BARONA.

SOURCE Barona Resort & Casino

Gambling in the USA

New Trade Association Launches Unprecedented Effort to Strengthen Responsible Online Gaming, Promote Best Practices

Published

on

New Trade Association Launches Unprecedented Effort to Strengthen Responsible Online Gaming, Promote Best Practices

 

The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), an independent trade association launched by seven of the largest U.S. legal mobile gaming companies, will actively promote a new industry-wide best practices charter, overseen by one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of responsible gaming (RG).

This unprecedented effort will be led by Dr. Jennifer Shatley, a deeply respected responsible gaming executive with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. She will serve as ROGA’s full-time Executive Director, and her role will be to facilitate widespread education to all relevant parties on the subject of responsible gaming.

ROGA will embark on a series of initiatives under Dr. Shatley’s direction. These include research, consumer and industry responsible gaming education and awareness, promoting responsible gaming best practices, an independent data clearinghouse, and an independent certification program.

Demonstrating their commitment to this endeavor, initial member companies – who together represent more than 85% of the legalized online sports betting and iGaming industry – have pledged more than $20 million in support of ROGA’s mission in year one. ROGA’s member companies include BetMGM, bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital, and PENN Entertainment.

“I am humbled, honored, and excited to be selected to lead ROGA during this important period of growth in legalized mobile gaming. Many of America’s largest legal mobile gaming operators will be establishing a framework that helps to aid in responsible gaming education and awareness. Together, our members will work alongside researchers, experts, regulators and stakeholders to promote responsible online gaming and maximize our efforts to support additional responsible gaming education and awareness. By coming together with a clear set of objectives, ROGA and our members will work to enhance consumer protections and help provide easier and more efficient access to responsible gaming tools for consumers to enjoy the entertainment of online gaming,” said Dr. Shatley.

Continue Reading

Compliance Updates

Play’n GO awarded Pennsylvania license 

Published

on

Play’n GO awarded Pennsylvania license 

 

Play’n GO has continued on its upward trajectory in North America by landing its latest US iGaming licenses and will soon supply its award-winning content portfolio to operators and players in Pennsylvania and Delaware

These licenses are the fifth and sixth obtained by the Swedish gaming giants in the USA, following New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

Play’n GO have taken a dual-pronged approach to its strategy in North America, with these US licenses being complimented by the company’s success north of the border in Canada, where Play’n GO was one of the first suppliers to be licensed to supply slot games in the province of Ontario.

Although early in its American journey, Play’n GO games such as Piggy Blitz, make regular appearances in the top 15 most popular titles in all of North America*.

Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer for Play’n GO, said: “Play’n GO content is the most conducive to player retention across the industry. With player acquisition costs sky high in the US, we’re pleased to be able to offer operators in Pennsylvania access to our content which will keep players coming back for more.

“We are determined to be the number one casino gaming supplier in every regulated market in the world, and given that we are thriving in more than 25 jurisdictions around the world where we have a license, we fully expect a similar success story in Pennsylvania in the coming years.”

Play’n GO is set to release more than 50 online slot titles in 2024 and is active in more than 25 regulated jurisdictions worldwide, including Ontario, New Jersey, Michigan and West Virginia in North America.

Continue Reading

Gambling in the USA

Lightning Box concocts scientific experiment with new release Experi-MENTAL

Published

on

 Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ and ASX: LNW) (together with its subsidiaries, “Light & Wonder” or “L&W”) announced the launch of its new game, Experi-MENTAL, stacked with features, modifiers and a clash with the mad scientist.

Experi-MENTAL has two in-game features to enhance the overall player experience.

This 3×5 title, exhibits the distinctive Expanding Wild Feature, which can award huge prizes for players should the Wild Brain symbol expand and replicate by five times during the Free Games round.

When players enter the mad scientist’s lab, they will stumble across the Upgrading Feature, which zaps the 9, 10, J, Q, K or A symbols into high-paying icons, including Test Tubes, Power Switch, Cat, Pug or Man. The wins are then accumulated and paid out once the reels have stopped spinning.

The Barrel Pick Feature can radio-activate the feature by awarding an extra 15 Free Games, as players are presented with highly dangerous barrels with an unknown material.

A meter appears when players select a barrel, with a red area and a green area in view. Landing on the meter’s green area ensures the Free Games round is triggered and additional games are awarded but landing in the red zone activates only the round itself.

The classic Free Games mode is unlocked when Scatter symbols appear, with five Scatters granting the maximum of 10 Free Games and the Barrel Pick Feature. During the round, Free Games can be retriggered at any time.

Experi-MENTAL is set to go live with Caesars in New Jersey, Michigan and Ontario initially, and will be available at a later date to customers of Light & Wonder’s industry-leading OPENGAMING™ platform.

 Michael Maokhamphiou, Studio Director at Lightning Box, said: “Experi-MENTAL is one Wacky slot game, and we believe it can propel our slots onto the next level.

 “During this game, players can unlock some new features, which add a dramatic element to this slot and classic round that are a cornerstone of Lightning Box’s portfolio. We are in no doubt will love taking on the mad scientist in this epic title.”

 Rob Procter, VP of Game Development at Light & Wonder, said: “2024 is going to be a big year for Lightning Box and the launch of Experi-MENTAL gives players the opportunity to showcase this thrilling game.

 “With a variety of different features exhibited on this captivating title, it sets Lightning Box apart from its competitors, ensuring the player experience is unrivalled.”

Continue Reading

Trending

GamingAmericas.com (part of HIPTHER) is your one-stop portal for the latest news, insights, and analyses in the gaming industry across the Americas. From legislative updates and market trends to interviews with industry leaders, we provide a comprehensive look at the dynamic landscape of both online and land-based gaming. Whether you're a stakeholder looking to stay ahead of the curve or a gaming enthusiast eager for reliable updates, GamingAmericas.com has got you covered. Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for real-time updates and exclusive content. Make informed decisions and stay ahead in the game with GamingAmericas.com.

Disclaimer: All the information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always check your local laws before participating in any gaming activities.

Copyright © 2018 – 2024, HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved.