Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort CEO LuAnn Pappas wants to emphasize one thing about the Mississippi Gaming Commission’s Thursday announcement that COVID-19 restrictions were being lifted:
Most of the rumors about customer discontent due to state-mandated restrictions were greatly exaggerated.
“There were always a few and there always will be a few who didn’t want their temperature checked and didn’t want to wear masks,” Pappas said Thursday. “But the overwhelming majority understood it.”
LuAnn Pappas, Scarlet Pearl GM
The restrictions, including requirements that employees and patrons must wear masks, will be rescinded at 5 p.m., Friday. But Pappas anticipates at least 50% of customers – “judging from the text messages I received today,” she said. – are still going to wear masks.
“At least it’s their choice now, which is freedom versus being mandated,” Pappas said.
Under guidelines put in place on March 4, occupancy was limited to 75% in addition to a mask requirement the Gaming Commission mandated despite the state relaxing requirements for masks in public places. According to the AARP’s website, Gov. Tate Reeves lifted a statewide mask requirement on September 30, 2020.
Located in D’Iberville along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, Scarlet Pearl weathered the pandemic relatively well. Common areas such as the casino’s sportsbook were “less impacted than one would think,” according to Pappas because most of the revenue came through stand-alone kiosks.
“It more impacted video poker at the (sportsbook) bar,” she said, due to social distancing restrictions.
Table games were also affected. While Plexiglass dividers were put in place to ensure the safety of patrons and employees, “the biggest issue for us was no one wanted to play with only three people, and that’s what the mandate was,” Pappas said.
Pappas said that some of the changes implemented due to the pandemic will remain in place, notably the casino’s buffet, which will become a service instead of a self-service restaurant.
New cleaning protocols are also being kept.
“Customers overwhelmingly liked seeing slot machines being wiped down after every session,” Pappas said. “The table games customers liked that their chairs were being wiped down, so we’re going to keep that.”
