Information and Reviews about Encore Boston Harbor Poker Room in Everett, including Poker Tournaments, Games, Special Events and Promotions.FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. No Poker Or Roulette: Massachusetts Casino Reopening Plan Would Dramatically Change Gambling Experience By Colin A. Young, State House News Service June 18, 2020 at 9:46 am. The latest tweets from @WynnPoker.

SPRINGFIELD — No craps. No roulette. No poker.

But there will be nearly six-foot-tall plexiglass dividers at blackjack tables separating dealers from players — and players from each other — under new rules meant to keep casino patrons from gambling with their health along with their money.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Wednesday adopted the set of reopening guidelines for the state’s casinos, which have been shuttered since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

No reopening date has been set, and casino operators say they will need 10 to 14 days notice in order to ramp back up. Encore Boston Harbor has discussed a tentative reopening date of Monday, June 29 as a tentative opening date.

But the formal reopening date depends on Gov. Charlie Baker’s reopening plan, and is expected to occur at Phase 3. The state is in what officials have called the first part of Phase 2.

The guidelines call on casinos to disable some slot machines and remove chairs in order to keep gamblers separated — four feet apart if there’s plexiglass between them, or six feet apart if not. The table games that are allowed will be restricted to three players at a time.

But restrictions that cut the number of people allowed on the gaming floor make it hard to make enough money even operate a casino, said Seth Stratton, MGM Springfield’s vice president and general counsel.

“I think our team has to look and see if there is an economically feasible way to reopen,” he said. The three casinos have been closed since March 15 with most employees furloughed.

The commission decided to revisit the question of total occupancy later.

New rules approved Wednesday would also require guests to wear masks over their noses and mouths, taking them off only if they are outdoors, if they are seated or if they are drinking. The commission will requires the casinos to provide masks for patrons who show up without them.

The new guidelines require casinos to limit food service and consumption to designated areas, which they’ll have to operate according to the state’s guidelines for restaurants.

Casino bars will remain closed under the governor’s guidelines and until further commission guidance. Last week, Baker moved bars to the fourth phase of reopening.

The commission started the conversation saying that the restrictions are tightest in the country and could limit occupancy to as little as a quarter of each casino’s regular capacity.

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For MGM Springfield, that would take the total occupancy from 7,400 to as low as 1,870. It would drop Encore from 16,000 to 4,000, and Plainridge from 5,000 to 1,400.

Stratton said MGM’s experts have not recommended plexiglass dividers for the slot machine area and the company has not installed them in other locations, opting instead to turn off every other machine. But, he said MGM will evaluate the situation.

The Commission said plexiglass barriers will allow the casinos to operate more slot machines and have a higher occupancy.

Casinos are also told to at least consider performing non-touch temperature checks and prohibiting entry to any guest registering 100.4 or above on two consecutive tests.

Other requirements include:

Provide hand sanitizer at points of entry, along with signage and casino staff to encourage guests to use it before entering.

Develop protocols for chip sanitization so that all chips coming from the cage have been sanitized.

Change out decks of playing cards more often to avoid cross contamination.

Sanitize touch screens, counters, slot machines and gaming machines.

At the cage, provide guests with the option to receive cash in enclosed envelopes.

Limit beverage service to the gaming floor, and to patrons who are actively gambling. Patrons will not be allowed to walk around with a drink or take it from slot machine to slot machine or table to table.

In neighboring Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe reopened Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun at the beginning of this month. Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode island is open by invitation only. Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, New York, is still closed.

On Wednesday, Mohegan Sun announced that it is reopening its dining and shopping outlets, and expanding hours and services.

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In New Jersey, Atlantic City Casinos are still closed, but Gov. Phil Murphy has hinted they may reopen on or about July 4.

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