Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
7 things we’ll see at Hollywood casino reopening
Mandatory masks, full-body thermal scanners, Plexiglas barriers, unplugged slot machines — this will be the new reality at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on reopening night.
The casino and entertainment complex is one step closer to opening its doors — on a date yet to be announced — after the first week of operation at its sister property in Tampa under new safety protocols designed to combat the spread of the new coronavirus.
The experience at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, which reopened May 21 at 50% capacity, is a template for new procedures that will be introduced at the company’s five other Florida casinos, according to Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen.
“It’s important in life to make sure you leave your ego at the door, but it really went well,” Allen said on Friday. “We were very, very happy at the results, most importantly from a safety standpoint.”
More than anything, that is what Seminole Gaming is selling these days. If cashier windows sit empty, as many have in Tampa,
according to Allen, that is less important now than “creating an environment where people feel comfortable.”
The biggest jewel among Seminole properties in the state — its $1.5 billion renovation, featuring the Guitar Hotel, debuted last fall — the Hollywood casino closed on March 20, amid mounting coronavirus concerns. The move came three days after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order closed South Florida bars and nightclubs and put limits on restaurant seating capacity.
The tribe said its three South Florida properties — the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood — would resume operations “as soon as it is appropriate and safe to do so.”
The reopening date for the Hollywood casino has yet to be announced, but the sovereign Seminole Tribe of Florida and state officials are in discussions on next steps, Allen said.
“While the tribe enjoys sovereignty, we think it’s very important — [Seminole Tribe] Chairman Marcellus Osceola and the governor have spoken — to be a good partner with the state,” Allen said.
Allen acknowledged that applying lessons learned in Tampa to the “hot zone” in South Florida requires extra consideration.
“The conditions in Hillsborough and the northern part of the state are much different than what they are here in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties,” he said. “Certainly, there is more penetration and spread of the virus in these three counties.”
Allen said he was impressed with the level of compliance from visitors in Tampa, where wearing masks in public is less prevalent. Out of 80,000 visitors during the week, three objected to wearing a mask (the casino will provide it), one to the thermal body scan. Two agreed to leave instead of adhering to the mask requirement.
The Tampa Hard Rock’s program of social distancing and sanitation guidelines is called Safe and
Sound, and includes a team of more than 100 actively disinfecting surfaces, with special emphasis on hightouch areas.
Hand-sanitizing stations are available throughout the resort, and an air-purification system is employed to scrub the air.
Visitors returning to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood can expect similar features and procedures to be in place. Here are a few highlights:
Masks: All guests, as well as staff, must wear masks or cloth face coverings that meet CDC guidelines, without exception. Masks will be provided to guests, if necessary. Anyone who refuses to wear a mask will be asked to leave.
Temperature checks: All guests and staff pass in front of full-body thermal cameras, which take an image that registers elevated temperatures. Individuals showing a temperature higher that the CDC recommendation (100.4 degrees) will be escorted to a private area where a handheld unit will be used to get a second reading.
Plexiglas barriers: Players and staff are separated by clear plastic partitions at table games, poker games and customer-service areas.
Players access tables with their hands through a space underneath the barrier. Dealers are gloved.
Cards and chips: Allen said the Hard Rock has devised a “creative” process for disinfecting chips, describing it as proprietary and declining to provide details. Changing decks of cards on an hourly basis has been standard, pre-virus procedure.
Slots: To ensure social distancing on the casino floor, thousands of alternating slot machines will be unplugged. Of more than 5,000 machines in Tampa, slightly more than 2,000 were turned on.
Dining: Look for restaurants at Hard Rock Hollywood to make a gradual reopening. In Tampa, the Hard Rock Cafe and 24-hour eatery Rise were serving right away. Council Oak Steaks & Seafood reopened on Thursday, and the Pool Bar & Grill will return this weekend. All have social-distancing requirements in place.
Hotels: Based on the Tampa roll-out, expect Hollywood guestrooms to open at 25 percent capacity. The Guitar Hotel, Oasis Tower and Hard Rock Hotel have more than 1,200 rooms.