HARVEY, La. — The parking lot at the Boomtown Casino has been more of a ghost town the past two months.
But that all began to change Monday as casinos around the state were allowed to open their doors again.
By midday, cars were filling up those recently-empty lots at Boomtown. It was a welcome sight for regulars like Troy Mataya.
“Everybody's doing their part, I can see, you know?” Mataya said.
Mataya was among those taking extra precautions before placing a bet.
“I got my hand sanitizer right here and I got a mask,” he said.
General manager Brad Hirsch said he's glad when customers take those precautions.
The casino has made its own changes since the state ordered the doors closed on March 16.
“We're going to be closing from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. every night to do deep cleaning, which includes fogging and disinfecting the casino floor. Every other slot machine is closed off to make sure we're social distancing,” he said.
Gaming is a big business in Louisiana.
Among riverboat casinos, Harrah's, video poker and racetracks, the state gets more than $700 million a year.
The decision to limit occupancy to 25 percent but open 50 percent of games was a late change as Gov. John Bel Edwards moved the state into the first phase of reopening.
But not all casinos are reopened yet.
In New Orleans, Harrah's remained closed Monday at the order of Mayor LaToya Cantrell. And in Kenner, the Treasure Chest was also closed.
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