Great Canadian Gaming to reopen two Nova Scotia casinos on Oct. 5 but at reduced capacity

Great Canadian Gaming Corp. says its properties in Halifax and Sydney, N.S., will reopen on Oct. 5 following a six-month closure due to public health efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

It says the reopening of the Casino Nova Scotia properties are part of a reopening of the province’s regulated gaming sector.

Great Canadian says changes at the two casinos will include a reduction in guest capacity to about one-third of historic levels and the temporary closure of most amenities. Approximately 60 per cent of the slot machines will be available.

The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Nova Scotia remains relatively stable at 1,086 since one was added on Sept. 8.

The company previously announced that it plans to reopen 12 properties in Ontario and New Brunswick on Sept. 28, but its casinos in British Columbia would remain closed.

Ontario and B.C. are among the provinces reporting sharp increases in their number of new cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks as restrictions on businesses and public gathering have been relaxed.

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