# Casinos in Ontario are still open, holy crap **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 13, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407 "2020-03-13T13:26:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/21 "2020-03-14T14:37:41Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Has the Ontario government directed the closure of anything yet? Schools are all closing down for three weeks. > [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Niagara appears to be open, Rama is closing due to pressure from the union. Rama has stopped concerts, but all I cna find for a general closure is the union is pressuring them to do it. All Quebec casinos have closed, even Playground Poker. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/22 "2020-03-14T14:40:14Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > Looks like the Vegas casinos are also still open, but hey, they closed their buffet restaurants… Heh, the only reason I’d enter a casino would be for the buffet and drinks. ---
**Author:** ![dudemanjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@dudemanjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dudemanjack)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/23 "2020-03-14T17:20:18Z")
I live in Pennsylvania and work in a casino. We are as of now still open. Only one person in the county tested positive so far. I’m off the next three days. I suspect we’ll be closed by Monday. Good news is they announced we’ll still be paid our salary if that happens. Not sure what tipped employees get as their hourly is below minimum wage. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/24 "2020-03-14T21:52:11Z")
> [@dudemanjack](#): > > I live in Pennsylvania and work in a casino. We are as of now still open. Only one person in the county tested positive so far. I’m off the next three days. I suspect we’ll be closed by Monday. > > Good news is they announced we’ll still be paid our salary if that happens. Not sure what tipped employees get as their hourly is below minimum wage. > > Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk I thought that the law required those whose tipped income wage falls below the non-tipped minimum wage be increased to the non-tipped minimum for the duration the tipped wage fell below. Am I mistaken in that thought? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/25 "2020-03-15T00:01:56Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I thought that the law required those whose tipped income wage falls below the non-tipped minimum wage be increased to the non-tipped minimum for the duration the tipped wage fell below. Am I mistaken in that thought? No, you’re right. The question, I guess, is whether you could enforce such a rule against an employer who’s paying people voluntarily for hours that they’re not actually working. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/26 "2020-03-15T01:29:59Z")
No doubt, people have been sleeping on this. Remember [Doug Ford’s advice](https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/coronavirus-doug-ford-tells-families-they-should-travel-and-enjoy-themselves-on-march-break/wcm/6aa508ed-6a1d-4660-b80e-ede48b494efc) when Trudeau was self-isolating himself on Thursday. > [@](#): > > Ontario Premier Doug Ford says families should go ahead and travel during March break despite fears over the novel coronavirus. > Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s comment on Thursday that families should go ahead and travel during March break has been overtaken by events as Canada grapples with the novel coronavirus. It’s not just Ford, but I will say; as it turns out, being a radio show host and son of a wealthy businessman doesn’t make you a capable Premier. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/27 "2020-03-15T01:31:05Z")
double ---
**Author:** ![dudemanjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@dudemanjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dudemanjack)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/28 "2020-03-15T11:52:12Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I thought that the law required those whose tipped income wage falls below the non-tipped minimum wage be increased to the non-tipped minimum for the duration the tipped wage fell below. Am I mistaken in that thought? I’m sure it will be at least minimum. I was wondering if they would bump it a little. All tips are collected and paid as paycheck (for dealers anyway) so there’s no mystery what they are making. I’m sure they won’t pay the full amount but maybe bump it to $10 per hour or something. Update: got a text from my boss while asleep. Casino is closed. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/29 "2020-03-15T15:02:47Z")
The local tabloid with a column about this. The sarcasm in Paragraph 2 is so thick it’s leaking out of my monitor. The one picture of a gambler is an old man in a wheelchair whose survival rate in the case of a severe respiratory infection is pretty obviously not the best bet in the house. > **[WARMINGTON: Gamblers still enjoying casinos amid COVID-19 outbreak](https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-gamblers-still-enjoying-casinos-amid-covid-19-outbreak)** > > There are still some Ontarians prepared to gamble the coronavirus won’t find them! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/30 "2020-03-15T15:02:48Z")
The local tabloid with a column about this. The sarcasm in Paragraph 2 is so thick it’s leaking out of my monitor. The one picture of a gambler is an old man in a wheelchair whose survival rate in the case of a severe respiratory infection is pretty obviously not the best bet in the house. > **[WARMINGTON: Gamblers still enjoying casinos amid COVID-19 outbreak](https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-gamblers-still-enjoying-casinos-amid-covid-19-outbreak)** > > There are still some Ontarians prepared to gamble the coronavirus won’t find them! ---
**Author:** ![dudemanjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@dudemanjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dudemanjack)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/31 "2020-03-15T17:41:56Z")
My casino’s crowd has a large amount of people thinking it’s all overblown and that “the flu killed x amount of thousands this year” as if comparing a year’s worth of flu deaths is a fair comparison to three weeks of a new virus. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/32 "2020-03-15T20:11:11Z")
After employees started filing grievances, the province has forced the operators to shut the casinos down within 24 hours. I am again obliged to point out the flu doesn’t kill as many people as people say it has. These wild numbers, 50,000 or whatever, just aren’t the case, not even close. COVID-19 will likely surpass the seasonal flu with room to spare. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/33 "2020-03-16T22:30:25Z")
Connecticut has joined New York and New Jersey in ordering a [mass shutdown](https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-coronavirus-update-0316-20200316-ukhf6fmwh5cvtaob3yiavyzm5q-story.html) of bars, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters in the three states beginning Monday evening. (Restaurants and bars will be allowed to continue food delivery and takeout, while supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other essential businesses will remain open.) However, the governor of Connecticut cannot order the tribal casinos within the state to close, because they are “sovereign nations.” The governor has reached an agreement with one of the tribes to close its casino, but is reportedly still in negotiations with the other one. > **[Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods to close for at least 2 weeks](https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Lamont-Cuomo-hope-to-persuade-casinos-to-close-15134335.php)** > > The closings, the result of concerns over the coronavirus, will mark the first time... ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/34 "2020-03-16T23:18:29Z")
Just saw on feeb a post from my sister-in-law, who posted this update: > [@](#): > > Casinos are empty in Biloxi > Love it, great wins > No virus is > going to keep me from living my life > #notcrazy Sorry, but, yes, you are crazy. And, yes, that virus will keep you from living your life when it kills you. Mind you, she is not in the best of health and is in her 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/35 "2020-03-17T02:41:37Z")
My wife and I are in Vegas right now. Casinos are closing because there is a requirement to clean all machines every 2 hours which is physically impossible. They are also closing all MGM properties tomorrow (which is why we’re heading home 2 days early; we can’t stay in our hotel any longer). ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/36 "2020-03-17T05:06:07Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > My wife and I are in Vegas right now. Casinos are closing because there is a requirement to clean all machines every 2 hours which is physically impossible. They are also closing all MGM properties tomorrow (which is why we’re heading home 2 days early; we can’t stay in our hotel any longer). True enough. I found this from MGM Resorts: [https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/nevada.html](https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/nevada.html) At least they’re offering full refunds for reservations and shows already booked and paid for. They are taking reservations for after April 2, but I’d assume that that is subject to change. Looks like our local casino, and our local race book/slot parlor, remain open, but I don’t know for how long. ---
**Author:** ![Lic\_Marcos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Lic\_Marcos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lic_Marcos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/37 "2020-03-30T06:58:19Z")
Due to the latest [news](https://onlinecasinomaxi.de/blog/praesident-trump-sagt-dass-die-coronavirus-richtlinien-bis-zum-30/), all casinos will be closed. What alternatives to come up with? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/38 "2020-05-03T04:48:03Z")
Gamblers have nothing to worry about, reopening casinos will [make sure](http://si.com/gambling/video/2020/05/01/casinos-thermal-imaging?xid=socialflow_twitter_si&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=sinow&utm_medium=social) that sick people stay away. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/39 "2020-05-03T16:02:21Z")
How do these people keep missing the fact that the virus can still spread from people who are asymptomatic? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407/40 "2020-05-03T16:06:12Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > How do these people keep missing the fact that the virus can still spread from people who are asymptomatic? They’re missing a critical anatomical structure. B-r-a-a-i-i-n-s [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casinos-in-ontario-are-still-open-holy-crap/849407.md?page=1)