State mandates strict health and safety standards before Indiana casinos can reopen Dan Carden, Northwest Indiana Times · May 19, 2020 at 12:31 am A trip to the casino won’t be like it used to be when Northwest Indiana’s five gaming properties finally reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, likely on or after June 14. The Indiana Gaming Commission on Friday issued guidelines for casino operators requiring them to devise plans for implementing employee and patron health screenings, strict capacity limits, rigid disinfection requirements, and restrictions on smoking, among other measures, before their casino will be allowed to reopen. According to Sara Tait, the commission’s executive director, the health and safety mandates “serve to provide confidence to the public that gaming will commence in a measured and responsible manner under conditions now necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.”