Operator News

Panama – Panama’s casino sector given green light to reopen

By Phil - 12 October 2020

Panama’s casinos will be allowed to reopen following a decree from the National Government on October 12, limiting them to 50 per cent capacity.

Casinos must provide workers with safety equipment, including masks and hand sanitiser and will have to adhere to the reopening biosafety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

The Minister of Culture, Carlos Aguilar Navarro, said: “We are ensuring that Panamanians and Panamanians can enjoy all the activities of the country’s cultural agenda, keeping the health and biosafety measures in the fight against COVID-19.”

“Teamwork has been very important, through the authorities of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, the Ministry of Culture and government and civil society organizations, which have exchanged information important to make correct decisions based on scientific evidence and economic indicators.”

Sánchez Ortega, the Head of Panama’s gaming authority, JCJ, said the industry employs over 10,000 people and has spent over US1m on adding secutiry measures to make their venues safe.

As well as the placement of physical barriers separating each machine and ensuring two meters of distance between them, casinos will test the temperature of guests and will be deploying extra cleaning and disinfestation of slots each time a guest leaves a machine.