Santa Ana Star casino reopens in New Mexico

Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel reopened to the public at 9 a.m. Saturday in New Mexico.

On March 15, Santa Ana Star became the first of the tribal casinos near Albuquerque to announce a closure in an effort to stem the spread of Covid-19 infections. The closure came four days after state officials announced the first cases of Covid-19 infections.

“Since our closure on March 15, we have stood back and carefully studied this issue from all sides. The adverse impact of our closure extends beyond the Pueblo and has also affected other stakeholders such as employees, vendors and guests," Tamaya Enterprises Inc. board chairwoman Melanie Martinez said in a news release, as reported by Albuquerque Business First. "Our closure has allowed us the time to learn and implement very detailed safety plans. We welcome you back to Santa Ana.”

All guests to Santa Ana Star will be required to wear masks, which will be provided at entry if needed, the news release said. Guests and employees will also have their temperature scanned at entry. Furthermore, all guests who enter the property must be at least 21 years old or older and have a valid New Mexico I.D. Guests must be registered as a Players Club member, and can register at entry.

"Our safety practices in place now were written to a standard to withstand worsening conditions," Tamaya Enterprises Inc. CEO John Cirrincione said in a news release. "We see the COVID crisis as something that will be with us for at least two years, so why not do it right.”

Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel ranks third on Albuquerque Business First's 2020 List of Tribal Casinos with a "net win" of $97.8 million.