Massachusetts casinos to lift Covid-19 restrictions May 29
The Massachusetts Gaming Control Board unanimously voted Wednesday to lift most Covid-19 restrictions at the state’s casinos beginning May 29.
MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park Casino will be allowed to return to full capacity with no social distancing guidelines. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.
Fully vaccinated guests and employees will no longer be required to wear face masks. Casinos will not seek proof of vaccinations among guests not wearing mass.
Casinos will be required to keep a pandemic safety officer on site until further notice. They’ll also have to continue reporting positive Covid-19 cases to gaming officials and local boards of health.
The MGCB’s 4-0 vote in favor of eliminating restrictions came after Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced the state would rescind its mask wearing order May 29 for vaccinated people.
The relaxation of pandemic restrictions comes at an opportune time for the state’s casinos, which are preparing for a busy Memorial Day weekend.
The three casinos combined for $85m in gross gambling revenue in April, which was up slightly from $84m in March.
Encore led the way with $50.2m in revenue, well ahead of runner-up MGM at $21.9m. Plainridge, which offers slots but not table games, earned another $12.5m.
The $24m in taxes collected by the state was the most since Covid-19 initially shut down casinos last March.
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