Northern California casinos nearly ready to open doors — but Newsom wants tribes to back off Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee · May 18, 2020 at 11:42 pm Northern California’s casinos are gearing up to reopen — with temperature stations to screen customers for COVID-19 and fewer slot machines to create social distancing — but are being asked by Gov. Gavin Newsom to back off. None of the six casinos that ring the Sacramento area have announced reopening dates, but as retailers and other segments of the broader economy begin to awaken from the COVID-19 shutdown, the Indian tribes that operate the region’s casinos are reconfiguring their venues to accommodate public health guidelines. The preparation comes as Newsom — reacting to news that casinos were on the verge of opening in Southern California — appealed to gaming tribes statewide to postpone their reopenings.
