Mississippi casinos are set to open tomorrow just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, and Beau Rivage President Travis Lunn is getting his employees ready.
“We are extremely excited to get back to work, to be able to welcome our team members back,” Lunn said. “We started bringing back team members as long as two weeks ago in anticipation…that we were to reopen, and really there was a lot of training that needed to be done.”
With restrictions set forth by both Governor Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Gaming Commission, casinos are not going to look like they did prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s such a new environment, and we really wanted to make sure our team members had ample opportunity to understand how their job position has changed,” Lunn said. “Everything from food and beverage to restaurants and obviously to the dealers and on the slots floor, all of those jobs have really changed and also the building has changed. There is a lot of new elements, so we wanted them to have almost a new orientation.”
Some of those changes to the building include slot machines being six feet apart and the implementation of a hand washing station in the middle of the floor. There will also be hand sanitation stations placed throughout the casino.
On top of changes to the physical layout, employees will be required to wear personal protective equipment, as well as go through screenings before entering the building.
“Our team members will be following measures such as mandatory face-masks,” Lunn said. “Team members upon entry to the building will have temperatures checked and screenings, so there are definitely a lot of new processes and things that we have introduced.”
While the atmosphere may feel slightly different, Lunn still expects customers will have an enjoyable experience.
“We still are very confident that we are going to be able to provide that great experience for our guests and make sure that when they get here, they have a great time,” Lunn said.