Covid-19 leads to casino closures across US

Casinos have closed, both voluntarily and by law, across the US in response to the ongoing outbreak of the novel Coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

The Indiana Gaming Commission, Illinois Gaming Board and Massachusetts Gaming Commission have both ordered all casinos in their states to close for two weeks.

Meanwhile in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton have issued a Director’s Order banning all “mass gatherings” of more than 100 people.

Indiana offers online sports betting but not online casino, while lottery is the only form of online gambling legal in Illinois and Massachusetts does not have online gambling in any form. Ohio has not regulated online gambling, though there are no laws on its books prohibiting it.

Today (16 March), Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, and Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey jointly announced on a conference call that all casinos would close from 8pm ET as part of a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.

Read more on iGB North America.