Coming off record haul, casinos look to manage delta variant
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Win or lose, seated at a slot machine at Rivers Casino is where Colleen Barkman says she feels right at home.
“Today, I am not doing that great, but I have won here. I have won big jackpots here,” Barkman said during a recent visit to the Schenectady casino. “This is my happy place when I am in the casino, I just like it, I don’t know. We come here probably a couple of times a month.”
Brian MacDonald is a regular at the sports book, where betting on tennis is his game of choice.
“I like risk, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty,” said MacDonald, who lives in Saratoga. “I’m pretty good. If I thought I was going to lose, I wouldn’t be down here.”
Since pandemic-related restrictions were eased in late spring, both say they’ve seen the crowds at Rivers Casino steadily pick up.
What You Need To Know
- The American Gaming Association reported U.S. casinos raked in $13.6 billion during the second quarter, the best ever mark for the period
- If the trend continues, the Gaming Association says 2021 could end up being the industry’s best year on record
- The general manager of Rivers Casino in Schenectady says regional casinos are performing especially well with many guests traveling from nearby
“It’s getting busier and busier,” Barkman said. “We came when they first opened up and there was hardly anybody in here, but every time we come back, there are more and more.”
“People are going to find something, regardless,” MacDonald said. “If they didn’t open the casino, they would be over at the track, and if they didn’t open the track, it would be something else. People are going to gamble.”
Rick Richards signed on as Rivers’ general manager less than three months ago, and says a busy casino floor has been the norm ever since.
“It is nice to see that people feel comfortable to come in here,” Richards said as he walked the floor. “They want entertainment and they want to get out and see people, and they want to get out and have good entertainment. And that’s what gaming is, being entertained.”
Following a dismal 2020, Rivers is hardly the only current bright spot in the industry. Earlier this month, the American Gaming Association reported U.S. casinos raked in $13.6 billion during the second quarter, their best ever mark for that time of year.
“I'm not surprised,” Richards said. “I think COVID changed how we act, and a lot of the regional casinos are doing a little bit better than tourist destinations, like maybe, The Strip in Las Vegas.”
If that trend continues, the Gaming Association reports 2021 could end up being the best year on record, but the ongoing spread of the delta variant is threatening to curb those expectations.
Richards says they haven’t seen an impact yet, but adds many sanitary and protective measures are still in place.
“We are still very cautious, but we have not really seen an uptick from the delta variant here. But we are always very careful to watch for it,” Richards said.
One of a handful of players choosing to wear a mask as he placed his bets, MacDonald said the surge is definitely on his mind.
“I see people running around, whether they are vaccinated or not, without masks, and it is mind-boggling to me that you trust it, you know what I mean?” he said.
Barkman says she’s not quite as concerned.
“I am vaccinated, so I’m really not worried about it,” she said. “I usually just wear my mask just in case I am in a huge crowd.”
As long as things stay where they are, she plans to keep coming back.
“I’m very grateful to be back; very happy,” she said.
