Canada
Barona Resort & Casino to Begin Phased Re-Opening Today, May 27, 2020
After a two-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barona Resort & Casino will begin to re-open to the public in phases at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. In response to the pandemic, Barona Resort & Casino closed in mid-March to protect the health and safety of its players, staff, Tribal members and surrounding community.
Barona has always had the highest standards for cleanliness and is known for its dedication to the guiding principle of always being Clean, Polite and Honest. With that as the foundation, Barona Resort & Casino’s phased re-opening is centered on a robust Barona Cares Health and Safety Plan which includes increased and continuous disinfecting and cleaning protocols, limiting capacity, social distancing policies, required facial coverings for all staff and players, infrared temperature checks, health and hygiene reminders property-wide, and the entire casino is non-smoking.
“Our first concern is always the health and wellness of Barona’s Tribal elders and Tribal community along with all of our staff, our players and surrounding community,” said Chairman Edwin “Thorpe” Romero, Barona Band of Mission Indians. “We consider ourselves one big family and our goal is to ensure the wellbeing of our friends and family as we slowly begin to welcome players back to Barona. We want them to have fun but most importantly we want them to feel safe and protected.”
At the onset of the pandemic, Barona established a Barona Cares Task Force to coordinate the casino’s closure, as well as to develop a phased plan for the re-opening that focuses on significant public health measures to ensure the safety and cleanliness of Barona Resort & Casino.
“Over the years, Barona has received many accolades throughout the gaming industry and most importantly from our players as being the cleanest and safest casino,” said Rick Salinas, general manager, Barona Resort & Casino. “We have spent the past two months developing a thoughtful plan which enhances our already robust standards and addresses the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with all of the applicable guidelines.”
With the well-being of the casino’s players, staff and Tribal community as the top priority, the first phase of the plan includes the following guidelines:
Temperature screenings using infrared thermometers and wellness checks will be required for all players and staff inside their vehicle as they arrive on property. Anyone with a temperature above 100 or other symptoms will be politely asked to leave the property and seek medical advice;
Players and staff will be required to sanitize their hands before entering the casino or hotel;
Face coverings will be required for all players and staff;
The entire casino will be non-smoking, and Barona’s triple-stage air filtration system will continuously disinfect the air and kill 99% of germs and viruses using germicidal UVC light technology;
No one under 18 will be allowed on property;
Every other slot machine will be turned off and chairs will be removed. Slot machines and chairs will be disinfected after each player;
Table games have been reduced and will be limited to three players per table to ensure social distancing. Disinfecting dice, table game rails, and chairs after every player; and touchless wagering at table games which means players never touch the chips;
Enhanced disinfecting protocols and increased sanitizing throughout the casino around the clock, especially at high touch point areas. Barona will only use disinfectants that are effective against viruses and meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidelines;
All staff members will be required to attend PPE/COVID-19 training;
Social distancing policies, signage and floor markers throughout the casino and entire property;
Plexiglass dividers have been installed property wide in areas where appropriate between players and staff including Club Barona booths, cashier cage, all point-of-service stations in the food court, Sage Café, hotel check-in, various back of the house areas, among others;
Health and hygiene reminders placed throughout the property and back of the house reminding staff and players to social distance, wear their face coverings properly, wash hands frequently and remember not to touch their face. All staff will be required to wash their hands before and after breaks and continuously wash or sanitize their hands during their shift;
Increased availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer stations throughout the entire property; and
A phased re-opening of restaurants will begin in the first phase. The buffet will remain closed.
Every Barona staff member has been trained with the new added responsibility of helping to make sure everyone is following the health and safety measures. Even the beloved Barona Party People will be responsible for reminding players to wear their face coverings, follow social distancing policies and to remember to wash or sanitize their hands frequently and not touch their face.
During the first phase, Barona will begin opening restaurants in a phased approach starting with Sage Café and the food court. Sage Café will open with reduced capacity, disposable placemat menus and continual disinfecting measures. With plexiglass dividers at the counters, the food court will package all food in to-go containers, there will be no self-service beverage stations and tables will be reduced by 50 percent for socially distanced seating. Gameside dining will be available at slot machines but not table games.
The hotel will re-open in phases starting at approximately 35 percent capacity, but the pool, spa and fitness center will remain closed.
The Barona Creek Golf Club, Pro Shop and snack bar will remain closed with a planned reopening in mid-June.
Additional features that will remain closed for the safety of staff and players include the poker room, buffet, valet services, gift shop, car wash, Barona Oaks Steakhouse, Italian Cucina, and Plaza Grill as well as the wedding chapel and events center. Barona’s bussing program has also been discontinued until further notice.
For additional details about the re-opening plan, visit www.barona.com.
About Barona Resort & Casino:
Named “Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas” by USA TODAY in the 2019 10Best and Best Casino, Loosest Slots and Best Buffet for nine consecutive years in the San Diego Union-Tribune Best of Readers Poll, Barona Resort & Casino is the ultimate gaming entertainment destination. For information, visit www.barona.com or call toll free 888-7-BARONA.
SOURCE Barona Resort & Casino
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BCLC has reminded the public to be cautious of a series of social media scams that imitate B.C. casinos and trick individuals into providing their financial details on illegitimate websites.
Highly deceptive, these scams share fraudulent posts and advertisements exploiting the logos, names, and exterior images of local B.C. casinos, and may claim to offer players exclusive bonuses and promotions if they register with their website or mobile application. BCLC warns that none of these sites are associated with casinos in B.C. or BCLC.
PlayNow.com is the only online gambling website permitted to operate in B.C. BCLCâs official apps are BCLC Lotto!, PlayNow Poker BC, and PlayNow BC Sportsbook. All BCLC-operated social media accounts, such as BCLC, PlayNow BC, PlayNow Sports, Lotto BC and Casinos BC, are verified with a checkmark.
While BCLC and its casino partners continue to work on having the posts removed, British Columbians should stay vigilant when it comes to these predatory and sophisticated scams.
To protect themselves, individuals are encouraged to:
âą Be on alert when a website or app asks for personal or financial information. BCLCâs verified websites and apps will never ask for your social insurance number (SIN), banking information or credit card details online to claim a prize from a B.C. casino.
âą Carefully check the URL and domain of the website to verify its legitimacy. Often, scammers will use a similar URL and domain to legitimate websites with a minor spelling difference.
âą Always verify the company and its services are real before providing any personal information.
âą Look out for other red flags, such as the suggestion of fees or taxes to be paid on a prize. There are no fees or taxes on prizes won in Canada.
If individuals feel unsure about an account, post or advertisement claiming to represent a B.C. casino, they can contact BCLC directly by calling the Customer Support Centre at 1-866-815-0222, or using the live chat resource on corporate.bclc.com or PlayNow.com.
The post BCLC Reminds Public to be Cautious of Illegal Online Casino Scams appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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Wyzia, the pioneering Canadian online payment solutions provider for regulated markets, is celebrating the renewal of its highly successful ongoing partnership with Betty, Ontarioâs premier online slots casino.
This partnership, which began in 2023, is key to Wyziaâs expansion across North America. It supports players of Betty, an online casino catering to female players whose business is supported by Wyziaâs innovative, secure, and robust payment management solutions.
Wyzia is at the forefront of Canadaâs fintech landscape, pioneering seamless online payment solutions for regulated markets. Its innovative platform connects merchants directly to all Canadian financial institutions, simplifying transactions and empowering businesses with reliable, efficient financial tools.
âWeâre thrilled to celebrate a year of working with Betty with the renewal of our agreement,â said Guy Fietz, Group CEO at Wyzia. âOur collaboration has not only expanded our reach but enhanced the payment experience for Bettyâs growing community of players.
âWe look forward to continuing this successful collaboration and driving further innovation in the online gaming industry.â
Betty is the only platform created specifically for Ontario slot players. In 2024, Betty has enjoyed unprecedented growth, with a tenfold increase in net revenue since January and over 1000% growth in active players across Ontario.
By fostering a fun, safe, and supportive environment, Betty has harnessed the power of the female gaming audience to create a unique online casino experience. Betty focuses on transparency, community-based play, and gamification of the traditional slot experience.
This player-focused model has allowed Betty to stand out from other services, resulting in phenomenal growth and the ability to retain female players at a rate three times higher than their male counterparts.
Additionally, Betty automatically processes 99% of withdrawals, so players quickly receive their funds, a crucial benefit for online slot players.
âOur partnership with Wyzia has been instrumental in providing our players with a seamless, fast, and secure payment experience,â said Chavdar Dimitrov, Founder and CEO at Betty. âWe are excited about the growth weâve achieved together and are committed to delivering even better services to our community in the future.â
The post Wyzia Renews Canadian Partnership With Betty appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Bragg Gaming Group
Bragg Gaming Enters into Online Casino Content Agreement with Canadian Operator Loto-Québec
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Bragg Gaming Group has announced that it has entered into an online casino content agreement with Canadian operator Loto-QuĂ©bec, the only 100% legal and local casino site in the province of QuĂ©bec. The agreement marks the expansion of Bragg into its second Canadian province, following Braggâs prior entry into Ontario in March 2022.
Pursuant to the agreement, Loto-QuĂ©bec will benefit from access to exclusive content, including titles from Braggâs in-house proprietary content development studios, a roster which includes Atomic Slot Lab and Indigo Magic, through Bragg Gamingâs Remote Games Server (RGS) technology, delivered via the Bragg HUB platform.
In addition, Loto-Québec players will also be able to access on lotoquebec.com titles from multiple content partners under the Powered By Bragg program, including King Show Games, Bluberi, Incredible Technologies and Sega Sammy Creation.
All content delivered on the Bragg HUB comes with the companyâs Fuze promotional tools as standard which offer player engagement features on games such as free rounds, jackpots, tournaments, and quests.
The agreement with Loto-QuĂ©becâs online casino supports Bragg Gamingâs strategic goals by accelerating the growth of utilization of Braggâs exclusive and proprietary content, and the diversification of revenue through expansion into North American markets.
Garrick Morris, Senior Vice President, Commercial, US and Canada at Bragg Gaming Group said: âItâs fantastic to see Braggâs content expand into our second Canadian province. Loto-QuĂ©bec is a strategic partner, and we are excited to see our proprietary games as well as exclusive content from our partners live and available to Loto-QuĂ©bec players. We look forward to developing our relationship as a key supplier to Loto-QuĂ©bec as we continue the roll-out with regular new game releases planned.
âWeâve enjoyed strong growth in North America over the past 12 months and I am pleased to further support this momentum with this successful launch in QuĂ©bec. I would like to thank the Loto-QuĂ©bec and Bragg teams for making this happen.â
François Hardy, Senior Director of Product and Innovation at Loto-QuĂ©bec, said: âAt Loto-QuĂ©bec, we are always looking for new and exciting ways to entertain our players. Bragg perfectly aligns with this vision, enabling us to provide a refreshing and dynamic experience to our players.â
The post Bragg Gaming Enters into Online Casino Content Agreement with Canadian Operator Loto-Québec appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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