Mississippi: Twin River reopens its Hard Rock Biloxi Casino

Twin River Worldwide Holdings reopened its Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi on Thursday, May 21. The Biloxi facility is the company's second-largest casino operation and represents approximately 20% of its current portfolio.

When announcing the reopening, Twin River also stated that it has implemented property-specific comprehensive health and safety protocols, developed in close consultation with state regulators and public health officials in Mississippi.

These protocols are part of the company's overall COVID-19 reopening plan, the components of which are designed to meet or exceed all guidelines established by the CDC.

"Our ability to reopen Hard Rock Biloxi is a testament to the hard work of our team during this pandemic and we were encouraged by the first day results which, even with reduced hours and significant safety protocols in place, generated slot revenue volumes approximately double those of the same day last year," said George Papanier, President and Chief Executive Officer. "While it is only one day of performance, we are excited and thankful to welcome back our valued team members and loyal customers to an environment that meets or exceeds CDC guidance. We appreciate the collaborative nature of our regulatory relationships in Mississippi, and we will continue to work closely with regulators and public health officials in other states to ensure the timely reopening of our other properties as soon as it is deemed safe to do so."

With respect to Twin River's six casinos in Rhode Island, Delaware and Colorado, the company explained it is actively preparing for the resumption of gaming operations. Among other things, these plans include potential screening of team members and guests upon entrance of the properties; thermal imaging cameras; enforcement of social distancing guidelines; including spacing between VLTs and limited or no table games to start; frequent cleaning and sanitizing protocols for all areas; mask protection requirements; and public awareness signage. The company will provide updated information on the reopening of these additional properties upon receiving all necessary approvals.

"As we reopen our properties, we believe we will benefit from our status as a regional gaming company that is largely focused on local and regional visitation rather than air travel, destination or convention business. As such, we believe we are well-positioned to resume our growth trajectory and drive results upon resuming full operations," Papanier concluded.