“We recognize that this surge is serious and we plan to continue to do our part if permitted to do so,” Sharp said. After dealing with the pandemic for nine months, he said, the county should have a more nuanced way of dealing with the pandemic rather than blanket closures. County’s casino cardrooms collectively spent millions of dollars to install plexiglass, outdoor tents, outdoor air conditioning and other infrastructure to comply with the county health orders in October. Keith Sharp, general counsel for The Gardens Casino, said L.A. Less than two months later and the outdoor cardrooms have been closed again because of an alarming surge in cases and hospitalizations. 5, though without food and beverage service and with a series of other safety protocols.

Some of the same leaders spoke out in September - with cardrooms having been closed for months at that point - and the Board of Supervisors took action a few weeks later, voting 3-2 to let them reopen outdoors on Oct. In the past, the county has said it doesn’t have data on transmissions at cardrooms, but has instead pointing to studies showing the possibility of transmission.Ī similar tactic has worked before. “Communities of color rely heavily on cardroom gaming.” “Cardrooms have not been identified as a primary source of infections,” Hernandez said. Hawaiian Gardens City Manager Ernie Hernandez, also speaking on behalf of the California Cities for Self-Reliance, called the recent health order guidelines arbitrary and not based on science.

The county’s Public Health Department did not respond to a request for comment. The city managers and mayors of Hawaiian Gardens, City of Commerce and Bell Gardens all came together Monday on the empty outdoor casino floor at the Commerce Casino to urgently plea for the supervisors to act. County Board of Supervisors to reverse the recent health orders and allow the card rooms to remain open with safety precautions they have already adopted. 30, shuttering the county’s seven casino cardrooms once again - this time for at least three weeks.Īnd like before, leaders of cities that rely heavily on tax revenues from casinos want the L.A. Los Angeles County cardrooms dealt their final hands over the weekend before new health orders intended to stem the recent coronavirus surge took effect Monday, Nov.

Poker dealer at commerce casino