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“Casinos are last on my list to re-open,” : Provincial Health Officer

Anyone wanting to try their luck again at the Treasure Cove Casino in Prince George will have to continue to wait.

Doctor Bonnie Henry (BC Government Livestream)

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said casinos are last on her list when it comes to re-opening.

She cites the majority of patrons are older with underlying conditions that make them more vulnerable to disease.

BC Lottery Corporation Spokesperson, Lara Gerrits said all gaming facilities in the province will undergo some changes once it’s safe to re-open.

“There will be some changes that will be made to gambling equipment to make sure that the player density within a casino is reduced there will be additional sanitation inside the facility and other measures that we will be working on with our casino service providers.”

Gerrits admits while the senior population does make up a healthy portion of their clientele they’re, not the only ones that are playing.

“We have young people and older people and we do agree with doctor Henry’s commitment to the health and well being of our players and of our communities and we’re going to continue with her directions and guidance.”

She adds the gaming sector remains an important one for the province, despite the shutdown.

“The gambling industry is an important economic contributor for sure to BC. There are 37-thousand indirect jobs through gambling created in BC and over 10-thousand direct jobs.”

During the closure, BCLC has noticed a spike in online gambling through its Playnow.com website.

“Some of our players are moving on to our Playnow.com website to play some of the casino games that are available, additionally as people are following the directions of Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and staying home a lot of our players are also purchasing their lottery tickets on our that website.”

BCLC ordered a shutdown of all casinos in mid-March following a directive by Henry and Attorney General David Eby.

Facilities will re-open once it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].

Brendan Pawliw
Brendan Pawliw
Since moving to Prince George in 2015, Brendan has covered local sports including the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Prince George Spruce Kings, UNBC Timberwolves, Cariboo Cougars AAA, and Northern Capitals U18 female hockey teams. Career highlights include play-by-play during the Spruce Kings' BCHL championship runs in 2018 and 2019, including the Doyle Cup win. He also covered the 2019 National Junior A Championship, the 2017 Telus Cup, the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, and the 2022 BC Summer Games. Brendan is the news voice on 94.3 The Goat and Country 97 FM, reporting on crime, real estate, labour, and environmental issues. Outside of work, he officiates box lacrosse and fastball, sits on the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame board, and co-hosts the Hockey North podcast.

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