Press Releases

Hamburg Gaming unveils Play it Safe™ health and safety standards for Sept. 9 reopening

Program aligned with CDC and New York State guidelines

HAMBURG, N.Y. (Sept. 7, 2020) – Hamburg Gaming has implemented a comprehensive program for its Sept. 9 reopening that features new health and safety standards aimed at helping keep guests and employees safe.

The program, called Play It Safe™, encompasses Hamburg Gaming’s new operating procedures, which have been reengineered to minimize contact risk. It includes bolstered hygiene protocols to meet or exceed best-practice guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As part of this effort, the facility will undergo rigorous, ongoing cleaning and sterilization with Ecolab® products, which are formulated to eliminate bacteria and viruses such as COVID-19 and will close nightly for a deep-cleaning of all public areas.

“The health and safety of our guests and employees is our top priority. We will focus on that with our Play It Safe program, which Delaware North has successfully implemented in reopening other casinos,” said Rob Puhalski, general manager of Hamburg Gaming for operator Delaware North. “We’ve worked closely with the state to ensure we are taking appropriate safety measures to reopen.”

Per the state’s directive, Hamburg Gaming will reopen at 25 percent capacity with a reduced number of active video gaming machines at least 6 feet apart and employees and guests required to wear face coverings.

Gaming hours will be from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. Valet parking, coat check, scooter rentals and wheelchairs will not be available. The Lucky North® Club players club will have limited hours.

At opening, food and beverage options will not be available. At some point reduced food and beverage options are expected to be available, but per the state’s guidelines there will be no beverage service or food and beverage allowed on the gaming floor.

Key elements of the Play it Safe™ program include:

  • Guests are asked to adhere to social distancing protocols while waiting to enter.
  • All incoming guests will be required to present identification as a record of their visit for contract tracing purposes.
  • All guests will be required to wear a mask or other face covering during their visit. Guests will need to provide their own masks.
  • Temperature screening and health check of guests takes place upon entering the facility.
  • An on-site Clean Team has been created, and its members are equipped with Ecolab® multi-surface cleaner and disinfectant to conduct ongoing sanitization of all surfaces. They will help to protect guests by dispensing hand sanitizer and cleaning video gaming machines and other surfaces on request.
  • Social distancing protocols are in place throughout the facility.
  • Touchless service and payment options will be available at food and beverage outlets once open.
  • Hand-sanitizing stations have been added at the entrance and throughout the facility.
  • We have upgraded our air filtration systems to meet New York State guidelines.
  • Some service offerings may be limited or unavailable to help maintain safe social distancing and health and safety guidelines.

Employees are underoing comprehensive training on Play It Safe™ health and safety standards and are required to strictly adhere to Play It Safe™ policies and procedures, including rigorous sanitization and hygiene requirements. Employees take a health check, including a temperature screen, when they report to work and are required to wear masks while on duty.

Hamburg Gaming is operated by Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company with a portfolio of regional gaming and entertainment destinations. Delaware North has added the Play It Safe™ program at its gaming destinations in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Australia.

Hamburg Gaming Reopening September 9, 2020

We will reopen gaming at Hamburg Gaming on September 9 under the requirements outlined by Gov. Cuomo. We thank the governor and the New York State Gaming Commission for the thoughtful discussion about our reopening plans that helped bring about today’s announcement. We had also noted our experience in successfully reopening several gaming venues in other states under capacity restrictions and our own comprehensive Play It Safe™program.

Play It Safe™ follows U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on sanitizing protocols and cleaning throughout our venue, as well as mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, temperature checks and other ways that we will help keep our guests and employees safe from COVID-19 and provide them peace of mind while they are in our facility.

We are ready, and we look forward to bringing back our employees and welcoming our guests.