We look forward to reopening our doors just as soon as possible.” “This is a challenging time for all of us, and we are very appreciative of the overwhelming support and understanding from our guests and team members. “As for our nearly 800 team members at Ameristar Black Hawk Casino Hotel who will be impacted by this temporary closure, we plan to continue to pay their wages and benefits through the end of March,” said Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming, in a statement. Richardson/The Denver Post)Īs of March 17, Penn National Gaming, parent company of Ameristar in Black Hawk, had temporarily closed 28 locations nationwide. Colorado legalized sports betting in November 2019, creating a market for sports wagering both at casinos and via mobile apps. Casinos such as Saratoga and Ameristar are preparing to build retail sportsbooks where gamblers can go to experience betting IRL in real time.

Richardson, Denver Post fileBLACK HAWK, COLORADO – MARCH 5: A man plays the slots at Saratoga Casino on Main Black Hawk, Colorado. The industry here already has fallen on hard times, Harris said, citing a 30% decrease in the number of games available to play - and therefore revenue - since the Great Recession. Gaming revenues fund the town’s basic necessities, from police to wastewater treatment. “It’s going to have a tremendous impact because gaming is really the city’s lifeblood,” said Paul Harris, Cripple Creek’s finance director and interim city administrator. While operators understand the need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the new coronavirus, the industry is leery of the implications on the three mountain towns - Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek - that rely on gaming to fuel their economies. Jared Polis announced a mandatory 30-day closure of casinos, alongside bars, restaurants, gyms and other large gathering places.

Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĬolorado’s gaming industry is at a standstill after the coronavirus outbreak shuttered the state’s casinos this week after already having scrubbed most of the major sports that had been expected to bolster the launch of legalized betting in the state this spring.

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