Dan Lindner, a host at Amerisports Bar and Grill at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, waits for customers on the first day the casino complex reopened, Monday, June 1, 2020. Photo by Hillary.
- Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopening
- St Charles Casino Reopening
- Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopening
- Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopen
- Ameristar Casino in St. Charles will reopen Monday at 11 a.m. After 76 days of being shut down.
- Ameristar Casino is St. Charles is reopening to the public June 1, with a plan to lower the odds of anyone getting sick. The number of players at each table will be limited, and all cards will be.
For some Missourians, this week seemed like a fine time to place a few bets.
The Missouri Gaming Commission is allowing all 13 casinos in the state to reopen this week, after more than two months of being closed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Ameristar Casino in St. Charles and Lumière Place in St. Louis are the only casinos reopening in the region Monday. Casinos in St. Louis County, including Hollywood Casino in Maryland Heights and River City Casino in Lemay, must remain closed due to county restrictions spurred by the pandemic. Casinos in Illinois are also not allowed to reopen yet.
The entrance to the Ameristar on Monday afternoon featured a large traffic sign that read 'Casino Open' in capital orange letters, and cars steadily streamed into the parking lot.
Jessie Hill, a St. Charles resident, said news of the Ameristar reopening flooded his Facebook feed, so he decided to come test his luck in a game of Texas Hold 'em with a friend.
'We live right down the road and like there really hasn't been much to do since everything's been shut down, so it gives us an opportunity to get out of the house and do something,' Hill said.
But gambling during a pandemic is going to look different, said David Strow, vice president of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming. Boyd Gaming owns and operates the Ameristar and 28 other casinos nationwide.
Chips, dice, playing cards and slot machines all are touched hundreds of times a day at casinos. Strow said his casinos are putting numerous safety protocols in place to reduce the risk of spreading the virus on those high-touch items.
Dealers place cards face up, so players don't have to touch them. Chips and dice are regularly sanitized, but people are encouraged to frequently wash their hands after touching them. Also, every other slot machine is turned off and Blackjack tables are limited to three players a piece to maintain social distancing. Chairs on the gaming floor have been removed and the building is restricted to half capacity.
Every dealer and casino employee is required to wear a mask and if a guest does not have a mask, they're offered one, but not required to wear it.
Most restaurants in the Ameristar have reopened, although the night club will remain closed for now. The hotel is also operating at half capacity and is not offering valet service currently.
Strow said the casino is ready to open, despite furloughing a majority of employees in April and months of significant revenue loss.
For the last two months, Strow said the company had no revenue coming in, as all Boyd Gaming casinos were closed nationwide. The company wrote in a letter to the state in May that depending on revenue after reopening, potentially 25% to 60% of employees could be laid off.
'The range in that letter really reflects that uncertainty,' Strow said. 'It's an honest statement of we don't know what that's going to look like two months from now, we don't know what our business levels are going to look like, what our staffing levels are going to look like.'
Casinos taxes are the state's fifth largest source of revenue, according to the state gaming association.
Closures compounded by slow business from hesitant customers could hurt state income, but Strow said he is hopeful people will be back to relieve stress from being under stay-at-home orders.
'People do need that escape; they still need entertainment,' Strow said. 'And so we can continue to offer them that.'
Follow Kayla on Twitter: @_kayladrake
Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopening
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1520 S 5th St #110,
St Charles, MO 63303
(636) 277-0202
Monday - Thursday 11AM–10PM
Friday 11AM–12AM
Saturday 8AM–12AM
Sunday 8AM–9PM
'prasino' means 'green' in greek, conceived with seasonality in mind, the menu is focused on local, organic, and sustainably sourced ingredients wherever possible. local farmers are an integral part of the restaurant by providing fresh, seasonal foods that minimize the carbon footprint while supporting surrounding purveyors. like-minded farms provide the flavors that reflect the region and are then incorporated into weekly features as well as the seasonally changing menu.
the culinary team's award-winning creations are complemented by a farm-to-bar beverage program of artisan cocktails featuring small-batch spirits, craft beers and outstanding sustainable and vintage wines creating a truly unique and exciting dining experience. if simple words could summarize the driving force of Prasino's success, it would be passion, people and product. these core values have kept prasino committed to green initiatives while elevating the cuisine and refined service.'
green initiatives
our team at prasino is well-educated in organic standards and national certification requirements central to our eco-friendly mission. we can confidently assure our guests that our internal processes and the exceptional vendors we work with are responsible stewards of the environment.
'best new restaurant in st. louis'
– st.louis magazine
'best brunch item, pretzel croissant'
– usa today
The entrance to the Ameristar on Monday afternoon featured a large traffic sign that read 'Casino Open' in capital orange letters, and cars steadily streamed into the parking lot.
Jessie Hill, a St. Charles resident, said news of the Ameristar reopening flooded his Facebook feed, so he decided to come test his luck in a game of Texas Hold 'em with a friend.
'We live right down the road and like there really hasn't been much to do since everything's been shut down, so it gives us an opportunity to get out of the house and do something,' Hill said.
But gambling during a pandemic is going to look different, said David Strow, vice president of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming. Boyd Gaming owns and operates the Ameristar and 28 other casinos nationwide.
Chips, dice, playing cards and slot machines all are touched hundreds of times a day at casinos. Strow said his casinos are putting numerous safety protocols in place to reduce the risk of spreading the virus on those high-touch items.
Dealers place cards face up, so players don't have to touch them. Chips and dice are regularly sanitized, but people are encouraged to frequently wash their hands after touching them. Also, every other slot machine is turned off and Blackjack tables are limited to three players a piece to maintain social distancing. Chairs on the gaming floor have been removed and the building is restricted to half capacity.
Every dealer and casino employee is required to wear a mask and if a guest does not have a mask, they're offered one, but not required to wear it.
Most restaurants in the Ameristar have reopened, although the night club will remain closed for now. The hotel is also operating at half capacity and is not offering valet service currently.
Strow said the casino is ready to open, despite furloughing a majority of employees in April and months of significant revenue loss.
For the last two months, Strow said the company had no revenue coming in, as all Boyd Gaming casinos were closed nationwide. The company wrote in a letter to the state in May that depending on revenue after reopening, potentially 25% to 60% of employees could be laid off.
'The range in that letter really reflects that uncertainty,' Strow said. 'It's an honest statement of we don't know what that's going to look like two months from now, we don't know what our business levels are going to look like, what our staffing levels are going to look like.'
Casinos taxes are the state's fifth largest source of revenue, according to the state gaming association.
Closures compounded by slow business from hesitant customers could hurt state income, but Strow said he is hopeful people will be back to relieve stress from being under stay-at-home orders.
'People do need that escape; they still need entertainment,' Strow said. 'And so we can continue to offer them that.'
Follow Kayla on Twitter: @_kayladrake
Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopening
Our priority is you. Support coverage that's reliable, trustworthy and more essential than ever. Donate today.
Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org
Maps are © Mapbox © OpenStreetMapImprove the map
1520 S 5th St #110,
St Charles, MO 63303
(636) 277-0202
Monday - Thursday 11AM–10PM
Friday 11AM–12AM
Saturday 8AM–12AM
Sunday 8AM–9PM
'prasino' means 'green' in greek, conceived with seasonality in mind, the menu is focused on local, organic, and sustainably sourced ingredients wherever possible. local farmers are an integral part of the restaurant by providing fresh, seasonal foods that minimize the carbon footprint while supporting surrounding purveyors. like-minded farms provide the flavors that reflect the region and are then incorporated into weekly features as well as the seasonally changing menu.
the culinary team's award-winning creations are complemented by a farm-to-bar beverage program of artisan cocktails featuring small-batch spirits, craft beers and outstanding sustainable and vintage wines creating a truly unique and exciting dining experience. if simple words could summarize the driving force of Prasino's success, it would be passion, people and product. these core values have kept prasino committed to green initiatives while elevating the cuisine and refined service.'
green initiatives
our team at prasino is well-educated in organic standards and national certification requirements central to our eco-friendly mission. we can confidently assure our guests that our internal processes and the exceptional vendors we work with are responsible stewards of the environment.
'best new restaurant in st. louis'
– st.louis magazine
'best brunch item, pretzel croissant'
– usa today
St Charles Casino Reopening
'best date night 2014'
-st. louis magazine
'best cocktail happy hour in st.louis'
– cbs
Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopening
'america's top ten breakfasts'
– new york post
Ameristar Casino St Charles Reopen
'top ten most booked restaurants in st. louis'
– st. louis business journal
