Casinos, sportsbooks to open back up in IllinoisZack Pearsonon June 25, 2020 at 9:29 pm

As Illinois gets set to hit Phase 4 on Friday, the state continues to open up a little more during this COVID-19 pandemic.

The next phase includes indoor seating in restaurants up to 25 percent capacity as well as allowing groups of 50 or more people in gatherings outdoors. It’s another small step as Phase 5 is a long ways away but it’s something.

On the eve of Phase 4, the Illinois Gaming Board announced that statewide casinos and video gaming operations can reopen beginning at 9 a.m. CST on July 1st. That’s great news for gamblers and fans of sports betting as things get back to normal. Casinos have been closed since March due to the pandemic.

Covid-19 precautions will of course be in place for the reopening across the state and it will look a little odd at first. That includes slot machines at bars across the state.

Per CBS Chicago:

Under the state’s guidelines, casinos must enforce six-foot social distancing requirements throughout their facilities; require customers and staff to wear face coverings; provide free masks and other personal protective equipment to employees; conduct daily health screenings of patrons and employees, and prohibit anyone who fails a health screening from entering; and set detailed schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing their facilities.

Check out what this bar in Aurora is doing for precautions:

Masks will still be required inside for precaution as the state is hoping to avoid another outbreak. Las Vegas reopened up last month with casinos opening their doors but NOT requiring masks. That changed quickly as the city implemented a new policy forcing people inside to wear masks at major properties.

It’s not a full reopen but it’s a damn start and is better than nothing.