If they can operate safely, they should be allowed to reopen. That’s what the mayor of Kamloops says about local casinos as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
“I’ve spoken to Gateway Casinos, the operator of the two casinos in Kamloops. They have a return-to-play program that I believe meets the requirements of the Provincial Health Officer,” Ken Christian said.
He adds with casinos closed, Kamloops is missing out in two ways.
“One is there’s a large number of employees at both casinos who are out of work. And secondly, there is revenue in terms of gaming grants that would be coming our way that are not going to be coming,” Christian added. “So I think as long as they can do it safely, they should be reopened.”
The city typically gets 10 per cent of revenue from its two casinos which is used for community projects. Council had to cut that money out of its budget for this year because the casinos remain closed.
Casinos in B.C. have been closed since March 17. Alberta meanwhile allowed its casinos to reopen three months ago.