MGM Springfield Re-Opening Slowly
Many players stay at home and play at online casinos like Vulkan gambling. This s brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. In Massachusetts, this is about to change.
Amidst threats of COVID-19, MGM Springfield casino has now opened its doors in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is good news not only for avid gamers but also for its employees. Like most gambling facility in the world, MGM Springfield shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, the casino is slowly re-opening, bringing back one-third of its staff to work. However, the hotel is still far from re-opening.
Despite the gambling facility opening, many of its restaurants are still closed and will remain so until it is safe to open to the public. It is also observed that many slot machines are turned off, and there are also lots of table games that will not be servicing patrons.
This is not to say that there are no games to play. There are several slot machines and tables open for business. The casino is merely adjusting its offerings to the number of patrons who visit the site.
MGM will be adding more personnel as time goes by and as needed. This measure is not only around to combat the potential of assign on the disease but also based on economics. It does not make sense bringing its employees’ full force back to business when there rarely are gamers coming in.
The only group that is in full function in MGM right now is the facilities department—they are prepared to clean and sanitize the area to comply with COVIDE-19 measures. They have been advised by the state’s health authorities to comply with specific guidelines to combat COVID-19.
Despite this, the MGM Springfield Casino is still bringing back at least 600 employees from its original 2,000. These 600 employees can go back to their lives under the “new normal.”
The VP of Human Resources, Marikate Murren, told media personnel from MassLive that the company has been in touch with its employees during these trying times. They understand what their employees are going through and are working hard to be able to help. The company is working with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to bring many employees back for additional capacity.
The MGC is in charge of issuing licenses to casinos and their operations. On the second of July 2020, the commission voted to vacate the May 14, 2020 order to stop casino operations. The MGC has published a guideline to casino operators on how they can resume business.
Part of this business is requiring guests to wear masks and that gamers and employees must practice social distancing. Bars and nightclubs will still stay closed, but casinos can now operate at reduced capacity. Beverages may be consumed by patrons while at the playing table or while in the restaurant.
In the state, the governor has prohibited large gatherings. This is a mandate by Governor Charlie Baker. This prohibition has impacted the MGM hotel business, which is a major source of income for the company. Since the hotel is going to be closed indefinitely, the management deemed it best to only bring back employees in the casino.
Because of this prohibition, the hotel is going to remain closed until the government lifts the ban and allow people to stay in hotels and gather in large sizes. The VP of the hotel, Abe Berry, is on the same boat with the governor, saying that to open the hotel business at this time of the pandemic is foolish.
According to hotel management, there is still no a set date for the company to open its hotel doors. They are positive that as the virus gets mitigated, the hotel can come back to its full operations. The decision to open the hotel will depend on the current state of the pandemic. They also said that if they are allowed to open, they may only open a few floors, perhaps the first two only, and will open more as the demand increases.
Despite Massachusetts allowing a large part of its economy to open, many are not granted to do the same, especially those that are not considered as necessities. Hope is not lost, as there is a phase in the re-opening of the economy where bars and casinos will be allowed to operate.
The issue is that this is not going to happen unless a vaccine is found, or unless health authorities can safely say that the virus has been mitigated. This phase may not happen until the early months of 2021.
