The Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton has been cleared to reopen after an initial scare that a staffer had fallen sick of COVID-19 was put to rest.

The casino reopened on Wednesday afternoon and has undergone a careful inspection process from public health officials which cleared the property to continue doing business as usual.

COVID-19 Scare Sends Wildhorse Resort in Protective Overdrive

In a press statement sharing the reopening, Gary George, the casino CEO, said that Wildhorse has exceeded sanitary expectations, and stressed that the well-being of people who work and visit the resort is the utmost priority for the establishment.

The casino had to quickly wind down operations on Monday amid a scare that an employee had presumably tested positive for COVID-19.

The decision came from the Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which said that the casino should close the main building to minimize the risk of spreading and further cases.

In the hours following the decision, Wildhorse started sanitizing surfaces across its main venues, including the casino and hotel, the Children’s Entertainment center, arcade, restaurants, administrative offices, and the Cineplex.

To ensure the risk of transmitting any lingering COVID-19 virus is kept to a minimum, the casino deployed the Clorox Total 360 System, which is used to sanitize schools, hospitals, and clinics.

According to Wildhorse, the employee who was thought to have tested positive had limited exposure to other members of the staff, as they worked in a restricted area of the building that had no contact with the kitchen or the main floors.

Very Low Risk of Exposing Employees – No Risk to Guests

Wildhorse has also said that based on the Centers for Disease Control information, the people who may have come in contact with the employee, even in a closed environment, would be at a minimum risk of exposure or catching the virus.

This is not the first instance of a casino shutting down temporarily or partially to ensure that no COVID-19 is spread on its premises. Recently, the Indian Head Casino in Warm Springs followed a similar process after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

Casinos are not risking a repeat of the situation which saw Las Vegas casinos shuttered for 78 days, leading to a gutting economic blow to Nevada and the industry as a whole. Recovery is still undergoing, but no one takes the risk of COVID-19 mildly even two years after COVID-19 was supposedly defeated.

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PlayAGS, a leading supplier of casino products and services, announced that it has secured approval to launch its portfolio of high-performing electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and table games in two new US jurisdictions. According to the announcement, the provider will now be able to supply products to casino operators in the states of Colorado and Missouri.

The launch in these two jurisdictions will help PlayAGS expand its presence in the United States, in line with the company’s ambition to become the go-to gaming supplier in North America.

The entrance into these two new jurisdictions follows the launch of the provider’s cutting-edge portrait cabinet Spectra UR43.  PlayAGS’ latest state-of-the-art machine features the beloved Triple Coin Treasures games, a series of titles proven to resonate with American consumers.

Triple Coin Treasures will be some of the first products PlayAGS will launch in Colorado and Missouri, allowing local fans to see what the fuss is all about. According to PlayAGS, fans will be able to find Triple Coin Treasures in a selection of Colorado casinos, including Century Casino & Hotel Central City, Golden Nugget Cripple Creek and Monarch Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk. Missouri fans, on the other hand, should seek PlayAGS’ titles at Horseshoe St. Louis, River City Casino Hotel, Hollywood Casino St. Louis, Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa, Harrah’s Kansas City, Bally’s Kansas City Casino and Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City.

PlayAGS Is Excited to Offer Premium Products to More US Players

AGS’ senior vice president and general manager of slots, Mark DeDeaux, commented on the launches in Colorado and Missouri, saying that the new licenses form a “meaningful piece of AGS’ overall growth strategy.” They follow a recent expansion of PlayAGS’ team and an expansion of the company’s overall global presence.

DeDeaux concluded that his team is looking forward to engaging players in the new states with exciting gaming products:

We are pleased to be able to offer our high-performing, chart-topping new products to customers in both the Colorado and Missouri markets.

Mark DeDeaux, SVP & general manager of slots, AGS

In the meantime, PlayAGS continues to grow, as demonstrated by the company’s recent financial results. In early August, the supplier published its Q2 2023 results, reporting record-breaking revenue of $89.8 million. The company continues to see its metrics increase across the board, attesting to the efficiency of its business strategy.

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1X2 Network, a leading iGaming supplier of popular online casino games, announced that it has been cleared for launch in the state of Michigan. According to the company, it has been formally granted a full supplier’s license by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the state’s gambling regulator.

The company described its entry into the Great Lakes State as a “key milestone” in its expansion in the United States and the Americas as a whole.

Thanks to the approval, 1X2 Network will be able to launch games from its proprietary game studios in the state. This includes content from Iron Dog Studio, Prospect Gaming and AD LUNAM, allowing local operators to enhance their product offerings.

As a result, players in Michigan will get to try out games such as 1 Million Megaways BC and 1 Million Fortunes Megaways. In addition, gamblers will also be able to give Iron Dog Studio’s Strike Series of Hold and Win titles a shot.

In 2022, 1X2 Network successfully launched its content in the Canadian province of Ontario. The content of its in-house studios resonated with Canadian gamblers, proving to be a hit among NA audiences.

1X2 Network is Excited to Grow in North America

In addition to established games, players in Michigan will also get to play AD LUNAM’s inaugural game Maverick via the 1X2 Network. The AD LUNAM brand launched Maverick in February amid growing demand for crash gaming content.

1X2 Network noted that Maverick is “one of its first forays” into crash and multiplier gaming.

1X2 Network’s chief executive officer, Kevin Reid, commented on the new deal, expressing his pride to bring the company’s content to the United States. He praised Michigan as a visionary state because it was one of the first states to “fully appreciate the powerful opportunities for regulated iGaming.”

Reid concluded that his team trusts in the regulation of gaming and is excited to grow its presence in North America.

We share Michigan’s belief in the sector’s future being in regulation, and we welcome the challenge to strengthen our position in the USA amongst such exciting competition.

Kevin Reid, CEO, 1X2 Network

In other news, 1X2 Network recently agreed to provide Hub88 with some of its best games.

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This comes as welcome news to Raj Grewal who faced mounting scrutiny over the past year over his alleged involvement in lobbying for businessmen in front of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Grewal was also accused of helping with immigration application proceedings in exchange for loans.

Gambling Habits That Do Not Suggest Abuse of Power

None of these charges held up in court. The only part that is true, though, is Grewal’s proclivity for gambling to great lengths. He reportedly spent considerable sums, running in the millions of dollars, at the Casino du Lac-Leamy over the period of several years from 2015 through 2018, court documents state.

Because of his gambling habits, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police launched an investigation into his gambling habits and the source of his money. While the investigation did not prove any wrongdoing beyond a reasonable doubt, Grewal stepped down from his party post and did not go up for reelection in 2019.

Justice Sylvia Corthorn of Ontario did not find any evidence to suggest that Grewal had in any way abused his power to secure loans and sustain his gambling habit. In fact, Corthorn dismissed the case outright and did not find it necessary for the defense to deliver its arguments.

Should shove came to push, though, Grewal’s lawyer, Nader Hasan, would have simply stated that the loans were given by members of the local Sikh community, which Grewal has been a long-time member of.

Police Did Not Bother to Investigate, Says Lawyer

Hasan called the entire case based on flimsy evidence, but more importantly on a grave cultural misunderstanding. Essentially, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police misconstrued the relationships between Grewal and his fellow community members and sought to find evidence of wrongdoing where there was essentially none.

Hasan insisted that the police could have saved the Crown and itself considerable resources if it had gone to Grewal directly and collected evidence, or looked into the ties between him and his benefactors. The lawyer insisted that at no point did the police approach his client and demand a straightforward explanation of the loans.

They simply jumped to the conclusion that Grewal had abused power, which has now cost him his political career.

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