Chances Casino in Kelowna Partially Reopens its Doors

With British Columbia casinos expected to reopen on 1 July, some venues like the Chances Casino in Kelowna have partially recommenced their activities.

The government of British Columbia has recently revealed its business restart plan, under which in-house casinos would be able to reopen from 1 July.  In anticipation of the reopening, Chances Casino in Kelowna has begun making plans for its summer reopening, including the relaunch of its indoor dining areas.  Gambling venues in British Columbia have been closed since March 2020.  

1 July Reopening

Stan Walt, the owner of Chances Casino Kelowna, has formally reopened the venue’s indoor and patio dining on 28 May. Walt explained that the limited reopening would ease the workforce back into their respective roles before the official relaunching of all activities. He stated that last weekend’s partial reopening was also to reconnect with players by offering them scratch-and-win tickets.

According to Walt, the casino underwent a considerable renovation to comply with the new health and safety regulations. Subsequently, the number of slot machines has been decreased from 348 to 310 and spread out across 10,000 square feet of space.  The rearrangement is expected to provide sufficient social distance between the patrons once the venue reopens its doors.

Walt has retained over 15 managers and supervisors during the shutdown, although another 150 workers would need to be rehired for the official reopening.  The hope is that at least 60 per cent of the retrenched employees would return to their positions. However, it remains unclear how many have found a new job.

Additionally, Walt is set to meet WorkSafeBC representatives to discuss new mandatory health and safety measures. According to a press release regarding the reopening protocols, the casino’s staff must undergo comprehensive training regarding improved health and safety.

Extremely Tough Lockdown

Casino employees in British Columbia have not had it easy during the 15 months since the suspension of all in-house gambling activities in the province. To draw attention to their plight, New Westminster Starlight Casino staff created a video called Don’t Forget about Casino Workers. The heartfelt video clip follows the story of two single mothers who were left jobless since March 2020.