Saratoga County and the City of Saratoga Springs Pass Resolutions
in Support of Reopening Saratoga Casino Hotel
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (August 20, 2020) – On Tuesday, both the City of Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors passed resolutions at their respective meetings in support of reopening Saratoga Casino Hotel. Each resolution sites the support of the casino’s “Safe Bet” reopening plan and urges state authorities to give their fullest possible consideration to the reopening of the casino.
“We cannot underestimate the value that Saratoga Casino Hotel brings to the City of Saratoga Springs,” stated Saratoga Springs Mayor, Meg Kelly. “They have been working diligently to establish and implement safety procedures that are in line with NYSDOH and CDC guidelines which ensures all patrons and staff are safe. I support the reduced capacity reopening of Saratoga Casino Hotel to get people back to work and for their patrons to safely resume normal activities in our community.”
The casino closed on March 16 following the New York State stay-at-home mandate and has not yet been permitted to reopen by the state. Over the last several months, Saratoga Casino Hotel has developed a plan to implement physical modifications as well as policy and procedural changes to protect the health and safety of team members and guests. The “Safe Bet” plan focuses on preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus through heightened standards in cleanliness and sanitation; installation of MERV 13 air filters; enforcing social distancing with the use of floor guides, plexiglass barriers and taking every other machine out of service; requiring masks at all times while on property except when seated in a restaurant; and conducting temperature checks and asking screening questions upon entry. The casino is also prepared to provide contact tracing through the use of ID scanners if required by the state.
“I’m happy the County was able to support the reopening of the Saratoga Casino Hotel. After reviewing their “Safe Bet” plan I am convinced they can do it safely and securely,” stated Matt Veitch, Saratoga County Supervisor, representing the City of Saratoga Springs. “It is critical that we support Saratoga Casino Hotel’s “Safe Bet” reopening plan as they are a prime economic driver for the County, and they support jobs, education, and the Harness Racing Industry.”
“We graciously thank our locally elected officials for their show of support in unanimously passing the resolution in favor of reopening the casino,” said Alex Tucker, Saratoga Casino Hotel General Manager. “We appreciate the confidence that the Saratoga Springs City Council and the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors have that the casino can safely re-open as so many others have done across the country. Reopening the casino is vital to the local economy and will bring hundreds of team members back to work, while producing revenues to aid education, sustain harness racing beyond September, and will shore up the tax base of the City and County in these uncertain times.”
Saratoga Casino Hotel is prepared to open as soon as permitted by the state.
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Media Contact:
Amy Brannigan
Senior Director of Marketing
abrannigan@saratogacasino.com
(518) 581-5721
