The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has ordered a shutdown of its casino industry due to the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus.
“In an effort to protect the health and wellbeing of your employees and guests, the board is in the process of preparing a formal order directing the closure of the gaming operations at all 20 casinos in the state for a period of 14 days, subject to extension, effective at midnight tonight,” Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones said in an email to all casino general managers in Louisiana.
“State Police will be working with you and your staff in implementing shut down procedures,” Jones said.
Louisiana is one of 16 states that have taken actions to either suspended casino operations or place limitations on crowd size in places where it is, to this point, financially prohibitive to remain open.
Several gaming companies, such as Boyd Gaming. Caesars Entertainment, Eldorado Resorts, and Penn National Gaming are already shutting down casinos in other states.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Mississippi, the governor and state health officials are holding a 3 p.m. CT press conference to discuss the state’s casino market.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
