In Australia and casino operators Crown Resorts Limited and The Star Entertainment Group Limited have reportedly instituted several temporary measures that have been designed to combat the spread of the highly-contagious coronavirus strain.

According to reports from GGRAsia and Inside Asian Gaming, both Sydney-listed firms revealed via Monday filings that they would be reducing capacity within their Australian gaming establishments short-term by removing every second slot so as to create more space between individual punters while additionally requiring players seated at their gaming tables to maintain a minimum but unspecified distance from fellow gamblers.

Perilous affliction:

GGRAsia reported that the highly-contagious coronavirus strain, which is officially known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and causes pneumonia-like symptoms such as high fevers and coughs, was first recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan in early-December and has so far killed over 6,700 people globally including five in Australia.

Pack proscription:

Crown Resorts Limited is responsible for the Crown Perth venue in Western Australia as well as Melbourne’s giant Crown Melbourne and is hoping to open its $1.5 billion Crown Sydney facility in the harborside Barangaroo district of central Sydney by the end of the year. The firm reportedly detailed that its anti-coronavirus measures were formulated in cooperation with the government of Victoria and include a provision that will forbid more than five players from simultaneously enjoying action at any one gaming table.

Inside Asian Gaming reported that Melbourne-headquartered Crown Resorts Limited is to moreover forbid customers from standing at any of the gaming tables within its venues and reduce the maximum number of people allowed in any of its associated food or beverage outlets at any one time to 450.

Reportedly read a statement from Crown Resorts Limited…

“Crown [Resorts Limited] has also implemented other precautionary measures across its Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth entertainment complexes including the provision of alcohol-based hand sanitizer and more frequent and strengthened cleaning measures.”

Comparable conduct:

The Star Entertainment Group Limited was previously known as Echo Entertainment Group Limited until undergoing a 2015 name-change and runs The Star Sydney as well as southern Queensland’s The Star Gold Coast gambling venues. The Brisbane-headquartered firm reportedly detailed that it was furthermore reducing the maximum number allowed in any one food, beverage, conference and theater facility to 500 and has postponed all non-essential work-related air travel.

Reportedly read a statement from The Star Entertainment Group Limited…

“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and team members remains of highest importance to The Star [Entertainment Group Limited]. We will continue to monitor development with [2019-nCoV] and follow recommendations we receive from relevant health authorities.”

Macau similarities:

Both firms reportedly earlier announced that they would be introducing a raft of heightened cleaning and sanitization protocols to help stop the spread of the potentially-deadly coronavirus strain while their new measures share commonalities with those introduced across casinos in Macau last month following the end of that city’s 15-day total shutdown.