Morongo Casino Reopen

The Morongo Casino in the Riverside County community of Cabazon will reopen Friday afternoon for the first time since it closed back in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

California As coronavirus stay-at-home restrictions ease, California casinos gamble on reopening Patrons get their temperatures taken upon entering Morongo Casino which is reopening for the first. Morongo Casino reopens, prompting massive lines after monthslong closure due to COVID pandemic Nine weeks after it was shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa.

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) – Albeit with major limitations, the Morongo Casino in the Riverside County community of Cabazon will reopen Friday afternoon for the first time since it closed back in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Morongo Casino Resort & Spa announced Tuesday that it will reopen for slots and table games, but with limited seating.

Some slots will be either deactivated or equipped with plexiglass shields.

All guests and staff must undergo temperature screenings before entry and they must wear masks at all times while inside.

Its hotel will also reopen with limited capacity.

“We would not have reopen if we didn’t feel we had taken the steps to make this a safe, healthy environment,” said Simon Farmer, marketing executive director for Morongo.

The pools and spas, gyms, Cielo Steakhouse and Potrero Canyon Buffet will all remain closed, along with valet parking, and poker and bingo rooms.

Several eateries in the casino will be open, including the Mozen Asian Kitchen, Pink Coffee, Good Times Cafe, the Sideline Grill and the food court. However, the restaurants will require physical distancing.

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“Our reopening is being guided by our abiding commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our guests, team members, and the community,” Morongo Chief Operating Officer Richard St. Jean said in a statement. “We have spent countless hours developing enhanced safety and sanitation protocols and procedures that strengthen our already-exacting standards for cleanliness.”

The casino, which is located on the Morongo Reservation, reopens at 2 p.m. Friday. Several other casinos in Southern California are reopening this week, including Viejas Casino and Resort in San Diego County. Pechanga Resort Casino is set to reopen June 1.

Nine weeks after it was shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa reopened Friday, drawing in guests who were eager to enjoy the casino again.

Visitors formed a long line leading out casino doors as they waited to get inside, where they found several changes. Visitors like Becky Adler drove in from Santa Clarita the night before just to get out of the house after two months stuck inside.

'I got my mask. I've got my hand sanitizer. I'm okay, I'm not scared. I think it is going to be okay,' Adler said.

The casino is an economic powerhouse for the greater Riverside County region, generating an estimated $3 billion dollars annually. In order to reopen, the casino put in place several safety measures to ensure the safety of its staff and guests.

'When you come in, the experience it going to be a little bit different. So, when the guest first arrives we are requiring masks. Above and beyond that when guests enter they will be subject to temperature checks. We want to make sure everyone is symptom free when they come in,' said Simon Farmer, marketing director for the casino.

Morongo Casino Update

Once inside, guests were met with the casino's latest additions: plexiglass dividers between slot machines and playing tables, along with a recently expanded 65,000 square-foot gaming floor. Limited seating and markings on the floor helped visitors maintain their physical distance from others.

When Will Morongo Casino Reopen

But while much of the casino is reopen for business, the buffets, concerts and pools will take a little longer to be re-introduced.

Morongo Casino Reopening

A handful of other casinos across the region also said they would reopen, including Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella and Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms.