Socially distanced slots, masks in the casino — How Miccosukee gambling looks amid COVID-19
When Miccosukee Resort & Gaming opened its doors on Sunday, close to 2,000 people flocked to the west Miami-Dade casino to try their luck at the poker tables or the slot machines, tribal leaders confirmed Wednesday.
And while the tribe has faced criticism for its handling of the pandemic — it was the last casino to close in South Florida and is the first to reopen — tribe leadership said Wednesday they have done everything to make it safe for employees and patrons.
“We were able to open our doors early by meeting what we call all the steps of safety for all of us. And yet we have a long way to go. We’re not out of it,” Billy Cypress, chairman of the tribe, said Wednesday at a press conference outside of Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, 500 SW 177th Ave.
“We need to do it safely. By safely it means regulations, guidelines to follow that are established... We ask the general public, our community members that they follow our guidelines.”
As word spread Sunday that the casino reopened after being closed since March 22, cars began to stack up on Southwest Eighth Street as they waited to get into the property’s sprawling parking lot.
The reason for the wait, tribal leaders said: Patrons now have to pass through a checkpoint before they are allowed in. The checkpoint includes a temperature check and identification check to make sure all guests don’t have a fever and that they are 21 or older. On Sunday, guests in line were given masks and bottled water.
That is only one of several measures implemented to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the tribe said. Among the new protocols at the casino:
▪ Casinogoers must wear masks during their time inside the casino
▪ Patrons can’t smoke unless they are in a designated smoking area
▪ Some slot machines have been turned off to allow for social distancing
▪ People can enter through only one entrance and exit point.
▪ Wipes and hand sanitizer are available throughout the casino
In addition, all employees have to wear masks, have been tested for COVID-19 and are being trained on the new protocols, the tribe said. The tribe is supplying employees with the personal protection equipment.
Tribal leaders also created what they are calling an isolation room in case they have any suspected cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Capacity, Cypress said, was at 25 percent. The tribe said only 500 people would be allowed inside at a time. But Cypress emphasized they are looking to increase capacity to 50 percent as soon as possible.
“Congress, White House have done their duty. Now it’s up to the agencies to help,” Cypress said. He added some restrictive measures need to be loosened “so all the businesses including tribes can receive assistance.”
When coronavirus concerns began to mount in mid-March, the Miccosukee Tribe resisted closing despite calls from local and state officials to close. On March 17, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued an order closing all the bars, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, movie theaters, concert halls, gyms, bowling alleys and other similar businesses in the county due to the coronavirus.
The Miccosukee Tribe did not close its casino until March 22, five days later. The Seminole Tribe closed its six properties throughout the state, including the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, on March 20. The Seminoles have not yet said when they will reopen.
Both the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes are sovereign nations so county and state officials have no jurisdiction over their properties.
On Wednesday afternoon, the casino was lively as masked patrons pushed buttons on video slot machines. One woman even wore a face shield as she tried to win money.
While the casino was abuzz with patrons, the hotel, valet services, bingo poker, Empeeke Aaweeke International Buffet, Bravo Bravissimo, Café Hammock, Cypress Lounge, Martini Bar, Pa-Hay Okee Salon & Spa, Club Egret and the teen arcade were all closed.
For the first time since the casino was forced to close down, Keisha Little, 37, was getting ready to try her luck again at a slot machine on Wednesday afternoon, her first day back.
“I was kind of skeptical at first about coming back ... But when you’re on lockdown and you’re in a house and this is something you normally do to kind of give yourself something to do. You get excited about being able to just come back,” Little said.
She said some of the measures, like keeping control of who comes in and who leaves the casino room, made her feel at ease.
“When I first came into the game, and I saw how it was going,” Little said. “It’s just perfect. I like the system. I do.”
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 6:53 PM.
