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Bo Mazzetti, chairman of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, which owns Harrah’s Resort Southern California, says “We’re ready to go!” when asked if the casino will be opening soon.
Fiore Steakhouse - Harrah's Rincon Valley Center Menu - View the Menu for Fiore Steakhouse - Harrah's Rincon San Diego on Zomato for Delivery, Dine-out or Takeaway, Fiore Steakhouse - Harrah's Rincon menu and prices. Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center has converted a portion of its shuttered buffet into an Italian restaurant (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG).
Despite the fact that some casinos announce they will be open on a certain date, Mazzetti offers this caveat: “Well, you’re not going to open until the governor and the rest authorizes it. Not because they have the jurisdiction but because they control the roads.”
And don’t expect to see Harrah’s return to its full glory right away. The process of opening will take from four to six months, said the chairman, who noted that the casino won’t be generating the same kind of revenue it once did.“It will be a gradual, slow process to get back up anywhere near what we used to generate,” he said.
The tribe made the decision to voluntarily close the casino on March 16, one of the first casinos in the county to do so.
Harrah’s was one of the first in the county to voluntarily shut down March 16. “We thought we should shut down for public safety. We didn’t want to jeopardize our customers, our tribe and our own people,” Mazzetti recalls.
As the county starts to reawaken and the governor is contemplating releasing some businesses to reopen, people wonder when the casinos will open they doors. Chairman Mazzetti says Rincon has plans in place to reopen. “That means social distancing, separation, no big crowds. All the safety recommendations that are all over the United States. Like spacing every other slot machine. We’re ready to go but we have to wait until the governor lets us open.”
Safety measures will including taking patrons’ temperatures at the door. “There might be testing for the virus if there’s enough five minute tests available,” said the chairman. “The minimum would probably be a temperature test. All that tells you is you have a temperature. You could still be a carrier and not have a temperature.”
The key will be making sure patrons feel safe. “Once they do they will go into those gaming facilities, restaurants,” said Mazzetti. “It’s that safety factor. ‘Do I feel safe? Do I feel comfortable? Am I confident of my health that I’m ready to go out?”
The chairman’s instincts tell him the reopening will be around the middle of this month, or the first of June.
The tribe has been generous to its employees during the shutdown, said Mazzetti.
“It’s not just the casino employees who are paid with all of their benefits” he said. “We have one hundred and forty five tribal employees. We’ve kept everyone. A lot of tribal governmentemployees work at home.”
Harrah's Rincon Casino Restaurants
The tribe also donated 8,000 pounds of food from its casino kitchens to area food banks and 4,000 pounds to the tribe’s elderly and handicapped.
Harrah's Rincon Casino San Diego Restaurants
The reopening will be gradual, says Mazzetti. “We won’t have the revenue we used to have. It will be slow process to get back anywhere near the revenue we used to generate.”
Harrah's Rincon Casino Buffet Prices
The tribe is also working with California regulators so fees can be collected slowly as well. Mazzetti told The Roadrunner, “We feel it’s going to take a good period of time to generate increased revenue, probably four or five months at least, and that’s hopeful that everyone comes back.”