Associate Publisher’s note: CDC Gaming will be publishing a feature piece on Coeur d’Alene CEO Laura Stensgar in the upcoming Weekend Report.
Following its limited opening April 27, Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel reopening to the public on May 1st will be a preview of some of the precautions casinos will take nationwide after the shutdown.
The tribal casino in northern Idaho 11 miles east of the Washington state border will have numerous “enhanced safety measures” in place to protect the health of all patrons and employees.
Here’s a rundown of those measures:
- All guests and employees will be required to wear masks. Some will be available onsite, but patrons should bring their own if they want to ensure entrance.
- Enhanced cleaning procedures will include disinfecting restrooms every hour, sanitizing gaming machines multiple times per shift, and sanitizing door handles, doors, courtesy phones, tables, chairs, handrails, and other high–touch and high–traffic areas multiple times a day.
- Side entrances will be closed; gloved staff will open main entrance doors.
- Two hand-sanitization stations are at each entrance, with two dozen across the property for employee and guest use.
- The casino and adjacent Conoco minimart will be closed 3–7 a.m. daily for deep cleaning. Gas pumps will remain open 24 hours a day, with the handles sanitized every hour.
- Floor markings indicating six-foot distancing will be found in front of cage cashiers, Coeur Rewards Club, hotel front desks, bingo admissions, kiosks, ATMs, gift shop, beverage stations, deli, bars, and cigarette machine. Plexiglas shields will be placed in close-contact areas (cage, front desk, Rewards club booth, and front desks).
- Restaurants, the lounge, and bingo have limited and spaced capacity seating.
Photo taken of limited reopening by Robert Bostwick for CDC Gaming
“We have put a lot of thought and effort into preparing to re-open in the safest way possible. Our team has worked with the medical professionals at Marimn Health to put together safety training for our employees and to outline social distancing and cleaning and sanitation protocols consistent with CDC recommendations,” said Coeur d’Alene Casino Chief Executive Officer Laura Stensgar. “Our guests and our employees are like family to us so this time has been difficult for everyone. We are excited to open our doors after such a lengthy, but necessary closure.”
In the casino, drawings will be smaller, but still held for March/April/May birthdays, Cinco de Mayo, Feel Good Friday, and Memorial Day. The new expiration date for expired vouchers is August 1. Off-track betting will remain closed until further notice.
At the front desk, shared tools (check-in screens, key cards, phones, etc.) will be sanitized before, during, and after each exchange with a guest or fellow employee.
The buffet will remain closed until further notice, though the three restaurants, the lounge and bar, and room service (food in a plastic bag placed on the floor outside the room) will open. Meetings, conferences, and all entertainment are postponed until early July. The fitness center will remain closed, but the pool will be open with towel protocols in place. The spa will be open with protocols. The golf course has been open since March 27.
The Coeur d’Alene Casino closed on March 20, five days before Idaho’s statewide stay-at-home order, which expires on Friday. There have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases to date on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation or in the surrounding county. All casino employees have kept their jobs, wages, and benefits during the closure.
The Tribal Council’s reopening task force consists of Council members, tribal department directors, casino executives, and medical professionals. The group will regularly review local coronavirus data and trends and provide recommendations to the Tribal Council if or when the situation changes.
