GGRAsia – MBS casino reopens with 2-person limit at gaming tables

MBS casino reopens with 2-person limit at gaming tables

Aug 06, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Singapore, Top of the deck

The Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino resort in Singapore said in a statement on its website that it had reopened its gaming facilities on Thursday (August 5). The venue was shut on July 22, after being linked to a cluster of fresh Covid-19 infections in the city-state.

The property (pictured in a file photo) is operated by a subsidiary of international casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp.

“Marina Bay Sands has resumed operations for our casino from Thursday, 5 August 2021, following a two-week pause from 22 July to facilitate extensive deep cleaning,” said the venue in a Thursday statement.

“The casino joins other venues and attractions at Marina Bay Sands that are currently operating, adhering to the highest safety, hygiene and testing standards, often going beyond regulatory guidelines,” it added.

The property stated that the reopening of the casino took place at a time when vaccination rates among its staff “have reached nearly 90 percent.”

Health authorities in Singapore said on Thursday there had been one additional confirmed case of Covid-19 regarding the cluster of infections linked to the casino at the Marina Bay Sands. As of that day, there was a total of 60 infections connected to the property’s casino.

Marina Bay Sands is operating at restricted capacity – including in its gaming operations – until at least August 18, under tightened community safe management measures announced in late July by the Singapore government.

According to the local authorities, the implementation of “Phase 2 (Heightened Alert)” measures is in effect until at least August 18.

On Thursday, a notice on the Marina Bay Sands casino website said the venue had introduced “limitations on the number of patrons in private salons and at each gaming table, while electronic gaming machines and slots will be placed at least one metre apart.”

Under the stricter measures, “no more than two patrons” are allowed per gaming table, and “only one patron” is allowed per slot machine or electronic table game unit.

The property also said it had increased the frequency of Covid-19 testing for its staff, “depending on their vaccination status and job risk profiles.”

Singapore is home to a casino duopoly, with the other casino complex – Resorts World Sentosa – operated by Genting Singapore Ltd. Management at the latter venue told GGRAsia last week that the property was to maintain “reduced guest capacity” for its gaming operations from July 22 until August 18.

As of 12pm on Thursday, Singapore had preliminarily confirmed 96 new cases of locally-transmitted Covid-19 infection, and two imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health.