MGM Springfield, other Massachusetts casinos prepare for 9:30 p.m. closing time

But starting Friday night they’ll shut down the gambling floor, bars and restaurants at the early hour of 9:30 p.m. under new COVID-19 restrictions announced earlier this week by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker.

The new rules go into force Friday, Nov. 6.

This new curfew – which also applies to bars and restaurants outside casino complexes – is meant to stop the current coronavirus spike but the Massachusetts Gaming Commission acknowledged at its meeting Thursday morning the hardship the state is imposing.

“We know that the later hours are so important to their business,” said Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein. “We can say it’s part of a greater good. The casinos have to be part of a puzzle here in the response to what is a sustained uptick.”

She said Baker is following the science. “Informal social gatherings around entertainment s are problematic, at least that’s what the data shows,” she said.

Capt. Brian Connors, commanding officer of the state police Gaming Enforcement Unit said the curfew presents the challenge of getting gamblers who’d been trying to get in the last of their play to exit the facility in an orderly manner while observing social distancing and mask rules. “Understanding there might be a crush” he said.

He said officers from the state police and from the Gaming Commission will be on hand at the three casinos this weekend.

MGM, in a memo to commissioners, said MGM Springfield will open to the public for casino access only at 10 a.m.. South End Market food court opens at 11. Last call for beverage service is 8:45 p.m. and staffers will cease service at 9 p.m. and closing time announcement s will begin and continue every 10 minutes.

The waitstaff will sweep through the casino floor and remove all beverages at 9:15 p.m.

Loretta Lillios, interim director of the commission’s investigations and enforcement bureau/chief enforcement counsel said coronavirus is rare among workers at the three casinos. They commission has been told of only cases among casino employees. Contact tracing links those COVID positives to family and social gatherings, not the workplace.

“We did not see any concerning patterns of multiple employees in same division testing positive” she said.