What used to be a suggestion has now become a demand.

Caesars now mandates that all guests wear masks when visiting any of the company’s indoor facilities.

The policy is a reaction to the increasing COVID-19 cases nationwide.

Considering that Caesars owns dozens of casinos and other properties, this is a significant shakeup.

Caesars Entertainment’s CEO, Tony Rodio, states that implementing a mask requirement was a logical progression in the company’s new safety measures.

“We have committed to continually reassessing the latest recommendations, directives, and medical findings pertaining to the COVID-19 public health crisis and adjusting our heightened health and safety protocols as necessary at Caesars. Therefore, we are now mandating that everyone within our properties must wear masks.”

Henceforth, if you arrive at a Caesars property without a mask, the staff will request you to wear one. Should you decline to do so, you will be asked to leave the property.

Caesars locations in Indiana require masks

Caesars owns several properties scattered throughout Indiana.

You will be required to wear a mask when visiting any of these gambling locations until further notice:

• Harrah’s Hoosier Park
• Indiana Grand Casino
• Horseshoe Hammond
• Caesars Southern Indiana
• The locations of The Winner’s Circle in Indianapolis and New Haven

Fortunately, it isn’t necessary to bring masks from home.

In May, the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) issued a list of basic requirements that casinos needed to meet before they could resume operations.

That list specifically focuses on the usage of masks.

Initially, only employees and gamblers seated at table games were required to wear masks. However, even after expanding this rule to everyone, a stipulation on the IGC’s list will facilitate gamblers’ compliance with the mask mandate.

Casinos might demand that customers wear face masks and must create strategies to handle those who refuse to comply. If requested, casinos should provide face masks to their customers.

Essentially, you are allowed to bring your own masks. However, if you forget yours or don’t have one, Caesars is obligated to provide you with a mask at any of their casinos upon request.

Casinos could be undergoing more changes soon.

Caesars may have been the first company to require masks, but it probably won’t be the last.

Not long after Caesars introduced its mask mandate, MGM Resorts implemented a similar policy. Although MGM doesn’t operate any casinos in Indiana, their decision to follow Caesars’ example suggests that other casino corporations may soon adopt the same approach.

Nonetheless, future alterations could begin originating from the IGC, instead of from separate companies.

The policy for implementing additional safety measures has been clearly stated by the commission.

Should COVID-19 cases begin to rise, the IGC may implement a host of new safety measures or possibly resort to completely closing casinos again. More specifically, an increase in confirmed cases within casinos, as opposed to the entire state, could be the catalyst for these changes.

Indiana casinos are required to report confirmed COVID-19 cases on their property to the IGC. If these occurrences increase, it is to be expected that accompanying changes will be implemented.

This might result in the IGC mandating casinos in Indiana to implement measures such as glass barriers to encourage social distancing. While such barriers have been a prerequisite for casinos in other states, Indiana has yet to enforce this regulation.

Currently, a mask requirement might only exist at Caesars properties in Indiana, but other casinos across the state may also decide to implement this. There may also be additional safety requirements introduced in the future.