After a disastrous year away from the tables, Crown Resorts can finally get back to what it does best after it was granted permission to reopen its main gaming floor from this Wednesday 25 November.
Two weeks after resuming some VIP operations, Crown Melbourne will from this week be allowed up to 1,000 patrons at a time with the recommencement of mass gaming table and slot operations.
There will still be a raft of restrictions in place however, including a maximum of 150 guests in each indoor space with a density requirement of one person per four square meters, physical distancing, deactivation of every second electronic gaming machine and electronic table game, and the presence of a COVID marshal.
“Crown expects to commence operating under the revised directions from Wednesday 25 November 2020 and will continue to engage with the Victorian Government on the implementation of these revised directions,” the company said. It added that its Crown Metropol hotel is expected to reopen from Tuesday 1 December 2020.
Melbourne’s only casino has been closed since 23 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with earlier plans to reopen in the middle of the year thwarted by a second wave that resulted in a statewide shutdown of non-essential services.
Crown Resorts, which is currently fighting to retain the casino license for its AU$2.2 billion Crown Sydney development following a suitability inquiry, reopened its Western Australian casino, Crown Perth, in late June.
However, the launch of its AU$2.2 billion Crown Sydney development, originally planned for 14 December, has been delayed until after the findings of the inquiry are handed down in early February.