Mar 15, 2020 3 min read

Pennsylvania has 12 brick-and-mortar casinos, and it’s a safe bet that all are beset by coronavirus concerns. These facilities draw large crowds, who use their hands a lot, increasing the risk of contracting the illness.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, on the city’s North Shore, announced via Facebook late Friday: “In the best interests of our team members, guests and the Greater Pittsburgh community, we are temporarily closing Rivers Casino Pittsburgh effective March 15 at midnight for 14 days.”

Another gaming site, Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, shut down as of 6 a.m. Friday. It is in Montgomery County, where, as of Friday morning, 17 of the state’s 33 confirmed/presumptive positive COVID-19 cases were. (The first pediatric patient was among the new cases Friday.)

In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus locally, the commonwealth on Thursday ordered the closure of schools, community centers, gyms and entertainment venues in that county – Valley Forge Casino falling into that final category. On the same day, Gov. Tom Wolf recommended that gatherings of 250 people or more be canceled or postponed.

“The situation is so fluid, it changes not only every day, but every minute,” said Richard McGarvey, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which oversees operations of the casinos statewide.

He said the board has been in constant contact with the gaming sites for two weeks, since before the state’s first confirmed case, and that PGCB adheres to guidelines from the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meadows Gaming and Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin say they have precautions and initiatives in place.

An official at The Meadows, in North Strabane Township, declined to be interviewed, but issued a statement saying the facility “is committed to providing a safe and clean environment … we continue to closely monitor information from the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as the Centers for Disease Control. Currently, all casino and public areas are cleaned on a regular basis. We have ensured that all team members are following safe sanitation protocol, as well as frequent hand washing.”

The Racetrack Road casino said in a news release that it has increased fresh air circulation; added public restroom cleaning rotations and sanitation stations in high-volume areas; stepped up sanitation of door handles, gaming devices and elevator buttons; is sanitizing menus after each guest use; and added carpet cleaning rotations in high-volume areas.

Lady Luck issued a statement, saying: “We have activated an internal task force to monitor, maintain and update, as necessary, any relevant procedures or policies. We urge our guests planning to attend any functions or events to check with the event organizers for updated event information.”