Live Poker Opportunities Slim as US Casinos Start Reopening

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 06/27/2020

Jerry Smith Staff Writer See Full Bio

Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.

Poker Table & Players

Over recent weeks, many people have been turning to online casinos in order to play poker. This comes after live poker rooms and brick-and-mortar casinos had to be closed in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Many casinos have been closed for three months, with some only just starting to reopen. This has left fans of live poker out in the cold with no live poker games to get involved in.

While some poker fans may have been hoping to get back to live gaming now that casinos are starting to reopen, figures suggest that there are very limited opportunities available. Many poker rooms are not opening back up for the foreseeable future, and the ones that are must play short-handed in order to ensure players can adhere to social distancing.

Two-Thirds of Nation’s Casinos Now Open

Figures recently released by the American Gaming Association show that around two-thirds of the casinos across the nation are now open. According to the data, out of the 989 tribal and commercial casinos across the nation, 621 are now open. However, due to new measures put into place as a result of the global pandemic, not all the reopened venues are offering live poker games yet.

Data shows that when it comes to live poker gaming, Florida appears to have the most choice at present. Nearly all poker rooms across the state are in operation, which is good news for live poker fans in the area. On the other hand, in Upstate New York, there is only one place for live poker gaming ,which is the Turning Stone Casino.

While casinos in areas such as New Jersey and Maryland are set to reopen very soon, there has been no word regarding whether live poker gaming will be offered. Even in casinos where live poker will take place, the limited number of players compared to standard games could put off fans, which could then impact the decision on whether or not to keep them running.

Hopes that Poker Can Return

Many people hope that over time, live poker can return to normal. Executive tour director of the World Poker Tour, Matt Savage, recently said:

First of all I know that poker will return someday to as it was before, only this time with a better understanding of hygiene, sanitation, and the new-found knowledge of how to cough and sneeze correctly with strong reminders from other players and employees if you forget.

While live poker has certainly been adversely affected because of the global pandemic, online poker and casino gaming has really taken off over the past few months. Many people who would usually gamble at casinos have taken to online casino sites to enjoy poker and other games while on lockdown.

However, despite the sharp increase in online gambling, officials have said that it cannot come anywhere near to making up for the huge financial losses resulting from the temporary closures of casinos – closures that have caused casinos to lose out on millions of dollars.