Opening weekend at the Royal River Casino and Hotel brought in enough people to keep the entertainment venue busy but not swamped.
“We had a very good weekend with lots of guests coming in. Our protocols put in place worked very well,” said Tim Morrissey, senior director of operations. “We never really got above 50 percent occupancy on the casino floor. That was good to see. People were following the protocols.”
The casino opened May 29 after nearly two months of being closed because of concerns about COVID-19. Earlier in the week, the facility had a soft opening, inviting a few guests to see how the reopening would work.

In the time since being closed, the facility made changes in procedures for both guests and staff and installed safety measures, including plexiglass between machines and sanitization stations.
So far about 70 percent of employees have been brought back to work and others will be coming back on, Morrissey said.
The first concert is scheduled for July 11, a tribute to Johnny Cash, and management at the casino is waiting to see what sized crowds will be able to gather, according to CDC guidelines, he said.
“We’re fully prepared to make the decision to reschedule it again or cancel if we have to, if we’re not in the place to have a crowd of that size,” he said.