The casino, located between Eau Claire, WI and Minneapolis, is one of the first to implement a second lockdown as the United States faces an unprecedented wave of coronavirus infections.
A statement on the casino’s website says, “The St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin have decided that this temporary closure is necessary for the safety and well-being of our guests, team members and our communities to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.”
According to the American Gaming Association’s Casino Tracker, 83 casinos remain closed while 911 have reopened. The closures are almost exclusively in the western part of the United States.
Tribal casinos in New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming and South Dakota make up a significant number of the closures, while Wisconsin is the only state east of Nebraska to report any closed casinos.
Though the governors of New Jersey and Nevada stated this week that they want to avoid closing casinos in their respective states amid rising coronavirus numbers, they are demanding tighter restrictions.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ordered Atlantic City casinos to stop indoor eating between 10 p.m. and 5 a.am, while Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak asked residents to stay home for two weeks.
