Australian gambling and entertainment firm Star Entertainment Group has limited access to its flagship Sydney casino property after new guidance was issued by the New South Wales government.
These restrictions were brought on amid a second wave impacting neighbouring Victoria, which saw Melbourne issued with its second strict lockdown and more recently the country recording its worst day of new cases since the pandemic began, driven by infections recorded in Victoria.
The NSW government amended its restrictions of gathering and movement last week, with the health order applicable to all hospitality venues in the region, including The Star Sydney, from Friday 24 July at 12:01 am.
The new restrictions mean that, while The Star Sydney is required to continue complying with the minimum of four square metres per patron, each separate area within the casino will also be subject to a maximum of 300 patrons. In addition, patrons gathering in different areas will not be able to mingle.
Furthermore, the property is to focus on prioritising visitation by its highest value patrons, with staffing levels to also be adjusted to reflect the new operating environment.
The Star is implementing operating procedures which comply with the new restrictions, including the delineation of several separate areas utilising the over 20,000 square metre casino floor area.
It was further noted that with a visitation capacity of around 900 patrons from June 19-30, average daily slot and table gaming volumes were comparable with H1 FY2020 private gaming room levels.
The Star Sydney previously began its next stage of reopening from the beginning of this month, after the entity was forced to cease most services, alongside Star Entertainment Group’s fellow properties in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, from Monday 23 March.
This initially saw the ability to host up to around 5,000 patrons at any one time, with all electronic gaming machines and table gaming positions permitted to be operational with appropriate signage and measures to ensure a maintained 1.5 metre distance between individuals who are not from the same household.
