Central California Casino Becomes State's First Card Room To Reopen Outdoors
TRACY (CBSLA) — A Central California casino is betting big on outdoor gambling.
Stars Casino in the city of Tracy reopened this weekend, becoming the first card room in California allowed to operate outdoors.
The casino set up its tables on its back patio with fewer players. Stars usually has 30 to 40 customers, but now serves only about a dozen, with three or four at a table.
Customers are required to get their temperatures taken and wear masks.
Emmanuel Macalino, the casino's CEO, says safety is the key to staying open.
"Emphasize really, not on the profits, but on the safety and security of everyone that enters the premises," he said. "I emphasized to my team that in making that a priority, then the business will happen naturally."
The casino first shut down in March. It reopened in July, but was forced to close again just hours later due to a resurgence of coronavirus in California.