Before the pandemic, the casino operated 277 tables. On Monday, the Commerce Casino operated about 60 gaming tables in two tented areas - one that was previously used for parking and one where an outdoor smoking area had been. Since then, most tribal casinos in the state have reopened, adopting individual health and safety protocols developed with the assistance of state, federal and local health agencies. Gavin Newsom’s pleas to keep such indoor businesses shut. They want to avoid a repeat of what happened in June: The county’s card clubs and some other indoor businesses opened for the first time since March, but after 10 days, the state - alarmed by a surge in coronavirus cases in the region - ordered them to shut again.Ĭiting tribal sovereignty, more than a dozen casinos on tribal reservations in California reopened in May despite Gov. Griffo and other casino operators vowed to take the health precautions seriously so they can stay open. “It’s a baby step toward opening kind of gradually, like restaurants,” said John Griffo, director of business development at the Commerce Casino.
