Sun International Opens all Urban Casinos Strict safety measures are in place at Grandwest for guests and staff, with only every second slot machine in operation. (image courtesy Esa Alexander, Herald)
Following hot on the heels of Time Square Casino in Pretoria - the first South African casino to open on Monday 29 June, and Grandwest Casino in Cape Town, which opened on Tuesday 30 June - Sun International has moved quickly to open all its urban casinos. SUN INTERNATIONAL’S urban casinos are reopening with restricted tables and slot machine capacities, and with physical shields installed between slot machines and between seats at gaming Tables. Every second slot machine has been disabled to ensure appropriate physical distancing between guests on the casino floor. Safety measures include temperature tests conducted at entrances, while only members of Sun International’s loyalty programme - Most Valued Guests (MVGs) - will be allowed access onto the casino floor for the foreseeable future. They will also be required to complete a medical screening questionnaire in advance of their visit.
“As our country slowly reopens we know that we will need to find a new normal and adapt to new ways of doing things. We ask that our guests be understanding of the strict new health and safety protocols and particularly the wearing of masks and physical distancing”, said Graham Wood, Sun International Group COO for Hospitality. Other casino properties that opened on 30 June include The Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth, Carnival City in Ekurhuleni, GrandWest in Cape Town, Sibaya in Durban and Time Square in Pretoria. Casinos opening on Wednesday 1 July are Flamingo Casino in Kimberley, Golden Valley Casino in Worcester, Meropa Casino in Polokwane and Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein.
Sun International‘s restaurants, as well as those belonging to third party concessionaires, will open with reconfigured layouts and the necessary physical distancing rules. They will not serve alcohol, in line with current regulations. Some may not reopen immediately, or may open only at certain times. Many entertainment facilities at casino properties might also remain closed for now. At the time of publishing, inter-provincial and national borders were still closed, and certain Sun International properties will not open for the time being. These include Sun City Resort, The Wild Coast Sun Resort, The Boardwalk Hotel, The Maslow Sandton Hotel and The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town.
Emperors Palace Opens
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED next to the O.R. Tambo International Airport, the Palace of Dreams’ reopening is in accordance with provisions as stipulated by the Department of Health (DOH) and World Health Organisation (WHO). Precautionary measures include, wearing a face mask or shield at all times, daily temperature screening (if a temperature of 37.5ºC and higher is recorded, access will not be permitted), record keeping of guests at entrances, thorough and regular cleaning of all areas and touch points, and the deployment of extra hand sanitiser dispensers to key public areas. The resort’s gaming activities resumed with a limited number of players per table games and alternate slot machines being disabled to ensure adherence to social distancing requirements. To effectively manage capacity, access to the
various gaming areas is limited to Winners Circle loyalty members. In addition, protective screens have been placed at all Cash Desks including at the Winners Circle Desk. “We have been working tirelessly to ensure, every possible measure is in place to ensure the health and safety of everyone who enters our property. And that is why we have enforced a multi-layered set of protocols and procedures to safeguard the well-being and safety of our guests. Furthermore, our employees have been fully briefed and trained on best practices,” comments Clive Tavener, Complex Operations Executive at Emperors Palace. The luxurious five-star Peermont D’oreale Grande, one of the resort’s four hotels, is open to business travellers. All hotel rooms have been deep cleaned with utmost care and hygienically sealed, with all non-essential, high touch-point items removed.
Peermont’s flagship property, Emperors Palace Hotel, Casino, Convention and Entertainment Resort, is open for business.
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Gaming For Africa
June / July 2020
