In Louisiana, they weren't required to wear masks in gaming complexes, for example. She also notes that New Mexico is significantly more strict than other states the couple has visited since COVID-19 hit. Stopping here 'feels safer than a Walmart,' Jeanny says, as her husband makes dinner on the tailgate of the car. The couple (who asked SFR not to use their last name and who did not follow state orders to isolate upon arrival) is making a crosscountry trip, and the Ohkay Casino just happened to be on their way. Outside the casino, Jeanny and her husband stand near their Texas plates, having just just left the casino for the night.

Other pandemic-related changes mean power has been turned off on every other slot machine to promote a semblance of social distancing, and some games have plastic curtains between them that sway in the forceful air conditioning. Workers take gamers' and employees' temperatures at the entrance and provide an option to record one's name and phone number to aid in COVID-19 contact tracing. The casino scene is almost typical-except for the darkened and cordoned-off bar. Inside the huge building north of Española, row upon row of people face the bright flashing screens of slot machines and a virtual blackjack table guided by a busty woman on a digital screen. This night, cars pack into the parking lot of the casino under an enormous glowing sign that's shrouded in a thin veil of smoke from nearby wildfires. The monthslong closures this spring and summer mean New Mexico is already missing millions in revenue-sharing that's not likely to rebound any time soon.

The state has 14 tribes that operate more than 25 gaming operations, and as tribal leaders wrestle with cashflow, more are slated to reopen soon. But on a Saturday night in the late summer of 2020, Ohkay Hotel Casino is one of just five tribal casinos open. READ MORE: COVID-19 Impacts on Gambling Disorder Support >Ī pre-pandemic weekend night would normally fill casinos and racetracks up and down the corridors of New Mexico to the brim with both locals and tourists.

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