Author: Lennox Carey

Give me liberty or give me…Corona?

Wait, that’s not right, is it? Oh well.

New developments are coming out daily about COVID-19. Today we’re going to talk about how a casino in Oklahoma is set to reopen, even with Corona numbers on the rise.

Why? Well, people are doing lots of crazy things these days, so who am I to judge. Let’s get into a few details:

Thunderbird Casino in Oklahoma Has Lines Out the Door

Sam Caruso, GM of Thunderbird Casino had this to say:

“It was time for everyone to get back to work, we were ready to get back to work, it just seemed like the right time to do it. We decided to do what we call a soft opening without a lot of fanfare.”

Well, “without a lot of fanfare” certainly didn’t pan out. People were literally lined up out the door to get into this casino. You can’t really blame people, though.

We’ve all been cooped up going crazy the past few months. A lot of people are trying to homeschool their kids and take care of everything else. At least liquor stores were deemed essential during all this, right?

Thunderbird Casino has seen great feedback so far from the community despite the threat of the Coronavirus. Even with the numbers rising in the state of Oklahoma, nothing will stop these people from hitting those slots.

It’s great for people that are willing to go out, too, because other local tribal casinos are staying closed.

New Casino Protocols For Reopening

Just the other day, I wrote a piece on whether I thoughtfacemasks will be the new norm in all casinos. This Oklahoma casino is just strengthening that argument.

All patrons entering the Thunderbird casino are required to wear a mask upon entry and must remain on for the duration of their stay. I didn’t see anything about temperatures needing to be taken, that might just be a Vegas thing, at least for now.

I can only imagine restrictions will continue to grow as time goes on. Even if the virus cools down a bit, it’s not likely these health and safety protocols will die down.

But for now, people don’t seem to mind having to wear the masks and be separated in the casino. People are just happy to see something open.

Caruso again had this to say:

“Every guest that has come in the facility has been very appreciative. They understand and when we tell them to put a mask on they put their mask on.”

The Wrap Up

In closing, I’ll leave you with this, casinos are reopening, and people absolutely love it. Virus or no virus, people need their slot machine action.

I’m the last person to give anyone advice, let alone medical advice. So I’ll leave my opinions together and just say that I hope you all do what you think is right, and stay as safe as possible.

Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you guys think about this whole situation!

These are strange times we are living in.

As the entire world is still working on recovering, casino owners are shaking with anticipation of when they can reopen.

Well, we’re getting closer.

The shutdown is ending in some states, and casinos are gearing for the grand reopening of their businesses.

But, there will, of course, be some strings attached. What are the strings? Let’s get into that now.

Gotta Wear Your Mask, Everybody

The Encore Boston Harbor doesn’t have a set date of when they will be able to reopen, but that’s not stopping them from getting ready.

However, to get the all-clear, there are some new rules the casino must abide by. All employees and patrons of the casino must wear a facemask at all times.

Looking to play some craps? Maybe some roulette even? Good luck.

These games will not be allowed to be played at first until there is a way to offer these games with proper social distancing.

Get Ready to Have Your Temperature Taken

Another thing Encore is implementing is having to take temperatures of employees, and also guests. So, you’ll be sitting at a slot machine, and then you’ll just get stopped to have your temperature taken like your at the doctors.

Not only that, but you will also be separated from other patrons by a pane of plexiglass. I say again, weird times we’re living in.

The Encore in Boston is not the only place though, Vegas casinos such as The Venetian and Palazzo will also be taking your temperature when they reopen.

Is This the New Normal for Casinos?

The question has to be asked, “Is this the new normal?”

It certainly isn’t something that will be going away any time soon, that’s for sure. Basically, every casino and even every company will have to follow guidelines similar to this.

Casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and around the globe are working to be ready for this transition. Many states are in multiple step plans for their businesses to reopen.

So, when you are finally able to go into your local casino again, be prepared to see a sea of facemasks being worn.

Welcome to 2020.

Rise of Online Casinos

With all of this going on, it’s no surprise that people are divided on how to handle the situation. You have people that are buying 12-year supplies of toilet paper, so they never have to leave their homes. On the flip side, you have people already running around without masks on basically asking to get the virus.

People that are staying home will be looking for other methods of real money casino games. That’s where online casinos come in. Now more than ever, people are seeing the importance of having virtual options for things.

There are plenty of real money games to choose from, all of which the team here at BestUSCasinos.org has reviewed. I’ve reviewed some myself, some of them our team members have helped with.

The Wrap Up

That does it for today. We have facemasks, temperatures, and online casinos all on the table right now. Remember, stay inside until you’re cleared, now more than ever. The murder hornets might get you. Let’s hope we all make it through level six of Jumanji.

BINGO!

Don’t act as you’ve never heard that being yelled out at a local park or Firehall. Heck, you might have even gotten the chance to yell it out yourself.

People seem to think that Bingo is only for the older generation, but I’m 24, and I love a good game of Bingo. You can catch me with your grandparents playing Bingo anytime, no shame!

As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread across the US, I hope we’re all doing our part and staying inside as much as we can. As dull as we may feel right now, many businesses and services are trying their best to step up and provide things for their communities.

That’s where Florida comes in.

Virtual Bingo Making Strides in Florida

A non-profit in the sunshine state of Florida called “My Warrior’s Place” is hosting Bingo games virtually on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings at 7:45 pm EST. All you will need to participate is a working internet connection and a way to connect to Facebook live.

Playing on Facebook live might not give you the same rush as being able to scream BINGO in front of your peers to let them know you are the dominant player, but at least it’s something.

Not only is My Warrior’s Place supplying people a fun pastime to take part in, but they are also providing prizes! I mean, what is Bingo without a prize to win? You can win gift cards of your choice that comes for local area patrons, according to The Observer News.

Local residents can participate by donating at least $20 to get a Bingo card emailed to them, and if you donate $30, you can get 3 cards. The proceeds go back into local businesses to help those struggling due to the closures.

What better way to fight boredom by playing Bingo online and supporting local businesses!

Words from “My Warrior’s Place”

Kelly Kowall, the president of the organization, had this to say:

“I would encourage people to do it for three good reasons. One, it gives you something to do three nights a week instead of just sitting there just doing nothing. Two, it helps to support our restaurants. And three, any funds left over from buying the gift certificates support My Warrior’s Place.”

The Wrap Up

Even though we’re stuck inside, that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to have fun and help one another! The advancement of technology we have in this day and age truly allows us to go to incredible places. We should all be truly thankful for what we have, and try and spread more positivity, now more than ever. 

Personally, I would love to see more places do things like this and take advantage of the virtual opportunities for games that we have. In a perfect world, though, this virus will be over soon, and we can all meet up in brick and mortar Bingo rooms!

Virginia is on its way to potentially get casinos regulated. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has been taking action to delay bans on gambling machines. The machines are called “gray machines” and are found most commonly in bars, grocery stores, restaurants, and other various types of convenience stores.

Gov. Northam is trying to get lawmakers to delay the ban because he thinks that there needs to be a new approach to the economy due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The effects of this virus have not been minimal; so far, it has shut down all casino operations in the US.

Both Las Vegas and Atlantic City are bearing a large part of the casino shutdown burden. However, not just the major casinos are being affected. Plenty of smaller casinos in various other states are also feeling the effects of this shutdown.

The gambling machines are helping the state of Virginia, and Northam doesn’t want to lose that. In the restaurants especially, they may be needing the extra revenue. The governor also wants to use the tax to set up a relief plan from the virus that will aid small businesses and others.

Clark Mercer, the chief of staff to governor Northam, is saying that the restaurants will be reliant on the extra revenue since their operations are mainly shut down, and people will not be coming out as much.

Will Casinos Be Legal in Virginia?

Previously, governor Northam has been fighting to legalize casinos in five different cities. The cities are:

• Bristol
• Danville
• Richmond
• Portsmouth
• Norfolk

Unfortunately for Virginia, it is one of the only few states that still has outright banned gambling and casinos. However, online casinos in Virginia are a different story. But now’s not the time to discuss online casinos!

Hopefully, with Governor Northam continuing to push for casino regulation, the state of Virginia can see casinos fully regulated soon.

Where is Virginia With Current Laws

As of right now, casino games are not currently fully legal in the state of Virginia. However, you can play the lottery and bet on horses in regulated areas.

You must be at least 18 to gamble in the state of Virginia, as with most other states around the US.

The Wrap Up

As the entire United States casino industry recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 virus, many news reports will continue to come out. We will see more news about legislation updates, shutdowns, and more.

Virginia is making moves right now, but will soon be followed by others. Be sure to check back often to our team here at BestUSCasinos.org for all of your casino news needs.

Remember back in 2013 when everyone had Trivia Crack downloaded on their phone? We would all sweat with anticipation waiting to answer questions for the ever so wondrous bragging right with your friends?

I remember, and it was great fun for a few months. Then it sort of seemed like the hype died a bit, but that’s probably more for the younger crowds that played. The game actually to date has more than 500 million downloads and stayed at the top charts in the app stores!

Fast forward 7 years, and here we are in 2020. Now Trivia Crack is back but with a surprising new twist.

Gambling!

That’s right, coming to a casino (possibly) near you in late 2020 are Trivia Crack gambling machines!

GameCo Excited to Offer Gambling Machines

GameCo is excited to offer this option to its customers and strives to produce a game that will be based on the player’s skill and not just pure luck. However, it will still have similar elements to the casino games of chance.

Not only Trivia Crack, but Gameco also has other games that it is releasing via its GamersEdge technology. 

Gameplay

The game isn’t too far into development yet, so there isn’t much to know in terms of how it looks. But what we do know is that the game will be very similar to its mobile counterpart.

You will spin a wheel, which is split into a few different categories to choose from:

• Arts
• Science
• Sports
• Entertainment
• Geography
• History

Just like in the game, the object is to collect the six characters from each category by answering the questions. The gambling aspect comes in as you will be able to place bets during gameplay.

The Wrap Up

With Trivia Crack coming to casinos later this year, does this open up the door for other skill games to be turned into gambling machines? Maybe we’ll be able to play other mobile games for money in the near future.

Will you guys play Trivia Crack for real money? What other games do you think will follow? Let me know in the comment section below!

So… Atari is trying to start a cryptocurrency casino? 

Yeah, you read that read. It was weird for me to type it out. At the same time that Atari is trying to start this casino, they are also trying to get into the hotel industry as well.

What is going on?

Well, I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and so do I, so let’s try and unpack some of this together

What Is Going On With Atari?

Does Atari seem to be the same to you as when we were kids? The company used to be an absolute powerhouse. The first atari gaming console came out well before I was even born, back in 1977.

Jump ahead to 2020 where we are now, and now Atari is trying to push out a VCS system. So, yeah, Atari has a lot on their plate right now. What are they thinking?

Why are they trying to do all of this? I’m not entirely sure, but I definitely don’t think its the right move for them. Personally, after the number of delays we’ve seen and the breaking contracts with their designers and getting sued, it just doesn’t seem like the right move to keep piling on more and more.

Why a Casino?

Maybe the better question is, why a cryptocurrency casino? I have no answers that I could find as to exactly why they are breaking into the casino industry. One can only imagine that they are trying to take advantage of any financial gain they can get right now. 

Publicity even? Bad press is good press, right? Isn’t that the saying? I don’t know, and it just is all so bizarre to me.

All of that considered, honestly, maybe it’s a great move on their part. Maybe people will love it, and it will really take off and be great for their business. Even though it seems odd to me, it doesn’t mean the next generation won’t love it. I’ve been around, and I know Atari a certain way, so having it run a casino is just really out there for me.

Who knows, though, people younger than me that don’t know any different might send them to the next level!

Oh, and maybe the hotel will take off as well!

When Does the Casino Launch?

According to Atari’s website: soon. 

I couldn’t find an exact launch date, this is what I found from Atari themselves:

Multiple reports that I found definitely think that it will launch this year.

Along with this, they are releasing two official tokens, the Atari token, and the Pong token. They are doing this by partnering up with another company that will help strengthen their case in the ICO world. 

The Wrap Up

I just don’t know, guys. It’s too weird for me. Atari and a casino? Still, it just odd to think about. 

Will I play at the casino? Maybe. I might try it out to see what it’s all about, but not till some kinks have been worked out. 

What do you guys think about the news? How does an Atari crypto casino make you feel? Let me know in the comments below!