Alberta Bingo Halls Anticipate Late March Reopening with Enhanced Safety Measures
Across Alberta, bingo establishments are preparing to welcome back patrons as the province gears up to ease more COVID-19 limitations, according to a report by the Calgary Sun. Although casinos, racetracks, and bingo facilities were originally scheduled to resume operations in early March, that timeline has been delayed to the third phase of the province’s reopening strategy, now anticipated sometime in late March.
“Our aim is to proceed with caution,” stated Brenda Pope, who oversees the Castle Downs Bingo Hall (shown) in Edmonton. “Therefore, the new normal will differ significantly from the old one.” She emphasized that despite a substantial portion of the population being vaccinated, these locations would still be required to enforce stringent safety protocols, such as disinfection procedures and temperature screenings.
Vik Mahajan, the head of River Cree Resort and Casino, conveyed that the venues are prepared to reopen at the earliest opportunity. He pointed out that video lottery terminals were non-operational for roughly 160 days due to pandemic-related restrictions, while table games remained closed for approximately 200 days.
The president of the Alberta Bingo Association, John Szumlas, mentioned that they have been conducting online training sessions for their personnel to update them on the most recent COVID-19 safety guidelines. However, he acknowledged that he anticipates some public reluctance even after the halls reopen.
Projections from the Alberta government indicate C$1.25 billion (US$987.3 million) in gaming and lottery income for the 2021-22 fiscal year, compared to C$527 million in 2020-21, which fell short of the pre-pandemic projection of C$1.4 billion.
The Mahayana philosophy suggests that reaching this objective is achievable, largely because of the untapped potential within the lottery sector.