Some Oklahoma casinos reopening under strict restrictions

Some Oklahoma casinos are opening up their doors after being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Thunderbird Casino in Norman reopened Monday. The casino announced on Facebook they are opening both locations with restrictions in place, and social distancing will be strictly enforced. There will be limited entryways, limited guest numbers, condensed hours, temperature checks, and mask requirements for guests and staff, as reported by KTUL ABC 8. Right now, hours for both locations will be 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. with the first hour reserved for guests 50 years of age and older, and their accompanying caregiver will also be allowed at that time.

Furthermore, the Osage Nation opened its first casino back up in Ponca City, and the one in Tulsa is next on the list, scheduled for May 15. Osage Casino Hotel CEO Byron Bighorse said they’re using the smaller casino in Ponca City to test their safety measures, using that feedback to improve things in Tulsa. “This next week we’re going to set everything up,” he said. “Every other machine will be turned off. No table games. No hotel. Not food service right away. We’re going to wait until restrictions are lifted.”

Many of the people who are at-risk are regulars at casinos and Bighorse recommends those people to stay at home. For those willing to go out, he said his staff will be doing whatever they can to keep them safe. “Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand sanitizing wipes,” said Bighorse. “We’re going to deep clean every night with special chemicals that kill all the coronavirus.”

The casino will only be allowing 1,500 hundred people in at a time, which is the quarter capacity mark it wants to keep during the first phase of opening, giving people more space for social distancing inside. “Everybody’s really unsure on how to do this,” he said. “That’s why we wanted this phase approach to kind of understand what it's going to look like. I think everybody else is kind of watching to make sure we’re doing the right thing the right way.

The Tonkawa Casino and Hotel opened as well, also with safety measures in place. All guests must comply with temperature checks and wear a face mask. They are also limiting guests to 300.

On Thursday 7 Clans Casino Resort in Newkirk has opened with limitations. They say the First Council Casino will be open seven days a week from 2:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. The hotel is accepting reservations for Thursdays through Sundays. The snack bar and main bar are open but there will be no bar top seating available. All other food outlets, the water park, and the arcade are closed. Table games are also closed. The Chilocco Casino is open seven days a week from 2:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. 

Other tribes have pushed their opening dates back further as business start to open up. The Red Rock, Perry, and Paradise Casino are remaining closed.