I appreciate how the management of this establishment choose to continue providing entertainment to their clients as well as jobs to its 9000-plus workforce without necessarily disregarding the fact that there is an existing pandemic out there. I hope other businesses would be as reasonable as them.
I also receive emails from the Crown Casino in Melbourne, but they haven't made any statement as yet about the impact to their Casino's bottom line. With three Casinos in their portfolio, I'm guessing the Star Entertainment Group need to be seen to be taking a proactive approach to safety and security.
It isn't just the 9,000 employees at the Casinos affected, but the follow-on with the construction of the new Casino complex in Brisbane, not to mention the hospitality and tourism in SEQ and Sydney.
This is a follow up email (that arrived just a little while ago).
The safety and well-being of our Members and Guests continues as always to be our No.1 priority.
SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES
The Prime Minister announced last week the cancellation of non-essential, organised public gatherings of more than 500 people and other social distancing guidelines in response to COVID-19.
In line with those announcements we are introducing various social distancing measures including:
deactivation of every second gaming machine and electronic table game to create additional distance
reducing the capacity at table games, including increasing distance at seated table games between players and restricting the total number of players at each stand up table game
restricting the number of guests in individual food and beverage, banqueting and conferencing, and theatre facilities to under 500 persons with limited density for each outlet.
MAIN GAMING FLOOR MEASURES
Table games will be reduced to a maximum seating of five guests per table with no standing players permitted, only seated players will be permitted to wager. The craps, big wheel and sic bo (double sided tables) will be the only exception with eight players permitted with social spacing to accommodate four players either end.
Only seated players may wager at a gaming table
Standing players will not be permitted to place a wager
Standing players will be asked to step back from gaming tables
Seats at gaming tables will be reduced to 5 with the remainder of chairs being removed from the gaming floor
Impacted games with 5 seats include Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette, Pai Gow, Poker, Poker derivatives and Sic Bo
Crap tables in all properties reduced to 8 betting positions, 4 positions available on each end
Queensland properties reduced to 8 betting positions on Big Wheel and Sic Bo due to double sided tables, 4 positions available on each end
The Star continues to work closely with government health departments and officials and is monitoring the situation closely. We have also intensified cleaning and hygiene procedures across our properties.
Further information is available at The Star Club Desk. If you ever have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask.
As I mentioned earlier, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our Members and Guests.
MATT
Matt Bekier
The Star Entertainment Group CEO & Managing Director