Now a full year into being closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BC Lottery Corporation is still in a holding pattern for potentially reopening casinos in 2021.

Interim CEO, Lynda Cavanaugh, says the corporation is anxious to reopen casinos, and says its working closely with government.

She says there isn’t a potential reopening date, yet, but says she hopes COVID-19 vaccine progress could be good news for the industry.

“We provided what is a very robust health and safety protocol plan, to both the provincial health office and WorkSafeBC, quite some time ago,” Cavanaugh tells NL News.

“And since then, we’ve continued dialogue towards (reopening). Our casinos are set up now for reopening… And we’ve been optimistic all through this past year that that might happen sooner rather than later. But regardless, whenever that does happen, we’re ready.”

In terms of specific changes that would be in place at casinos, Cavanaugh says there will be Plexiglass at tables and at slot machines, and says slot machines will be spread out two metres apart. She says Plexiglass will also be set up anywhere where a player might interact with a staff member, adding there will be sanitization stations, constant cleaning, directional signs on floors, and says masks will have to be worn indoors at all times.

Casinos were shut down as of March 17, 2020. In Kamloops, that has affected Chances Casino in Brock and Cascade Casino in Aberdeen.