Social Distancing Measures at Aussie and Kiwi Casinos

The coronavirus pandemic is having a life-altering impact on every corner of the globe, forcing governments to declare an emergency state, and putting whole industries and businesses on the edge of bankruptcy. And the gambling industry is no exception. While many land-based casinos around the world have closed doors, most of the gambling establishments in Australia and New Zealand refuse to stop operating opting instead for 'social distancing' policies and enhanced sanitising schedules. In the following lines, we will review these social distancing measures so that you know what to expect if you want to visit a brick and mortar casino in the upcoming months. And if you want to play gambling games online, the team of slots-info has selected the best NZ casinos, where you can enjoy gambling to the fullest. All of the listed gambling sites are absolutely safe to play at, so you are a few clicks away from an entertaining and enjoyable experience.

There are more than 20 brick and mortar casinos in Australia and 6 full-scale casinos in New Zealand. There are a lot more smaller venues that offer only slot machines, aka pokies (the favourite gambling game in this part of the globe), but we will stay focused on the massive establishments. In order to ensure the safety of both customers and staff, and minimise the potential spread of Covid-19, the largest Aussie and Kiwi land-based casinos have taken significant 'social distancing measures', that have been recommended and proved effective.

The biggest casino operators in Australia and New Zealand announced that they will enforce distancing at seated table games and deactivate every second gaming machine and electronic table game. Back betting will not be available, as standing players are not allowed, while seated players must keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres between each other. Games that require players to be standing up will be limited to 5 players per table.

Alcohol-based sanitisers will be available at entry points, gambling tables and restrooms for both customers and staff. Most of the gambling establishments will conduct more frequent and strengthened cleaning procedures. Other casino companies, like The Star Entertainment Group, for example, announced that they would shut their casinos every day for four-hour periods to conduct 'comprehensive cleaning procedures'.

The biggest Aussie casino operators – Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment Group, stated that they would restrict the number of people in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, conference facilities and ballrooms. As a result of consultation with the Australian government, non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people will not be allowed. Another famous gambling operator, SkyCity Entertainment Group (which operates casinos in both Australia and New Zealand), has implemented many of the same measures. The company also announced that all gaming promotions and a large number of public events scheduled to happen in the following weeks had been cancelled.

Many of the most respected public health academics in Australia expressed their disagreement with the measures, urging the temporary closer of establishments housing slot machines. The main reason is that pokies often attract older people who are at a heightened risk of illness or death from the coronavirus. Calls for temporary shutdown escalated in the last couple of days, after other gaming giants around the world, including in Las Vegas (MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts), have decided to close their venues in response to the deadly pandemic.

Even though most of the biggest casino operators in Australia and New Zealand will remain open, the consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic might be devastating. The casino operators are a significant generator of revenue for the state government. Only in the last financial year, just the Crown Resorts paid tax to the state of Victoria of $238 million. This figure is expected to be minimum three times lower this year. Australia is a world-class holiday destination, and millions of tourists visit gambling establishments and generate income for the casinos. Restrictions on international air travel will drastically reduce revenue, as the highest spending gamblers who visit Australian casinos are mostly from China.

And while most of the land-based gambling establishments are facing severe stagnation with enormous losses, the online casino industry is thriving. Online gambling sites provide a plethora of gambling possibilities, and people who want at least a little distraction from the problems can escape with a few gambling sessions.