Loto-Quebec to Close Land-Based Venues after a Spike in COVID-19 Cases

Two land-based venues of Loto-Quebec close from October 1 through October 28 following spikes of positive COVID-19 cases. The operator’s lottery sales are not affected by the new government restrictions.

Loto-Quebec Closes Two Land-Based Venues

Following recent spikes of positive COVID-19 cases in Quebec, the gambling operator Loto-Quebec will have to close a few of its land-based properties. Loto-Quebec’s Casino de Montreal and the Salon de jeux de Quebec will have to close from midnight on October 1 until October 28. With that in mind, Loto-Quebec’s retails will continue offering lottery sales since the new government guidelines do not affect the lottery.

Furthermore, the network bingo, Kinzo, and video lottery machines (VLTs) within the metropolitan area of Montreal, Quebec City, and Chaudière-Appalaches region will be closed for that period. Bars, theatres, performance halls, and other entertainment venues will also close their doors in those regions that are put on red alert. Exception from the closure will be made for Portneuf and Charlevoix regions.

In the period October 1-28, network bingo will be restricted only to evening hours, but the VLTs and Kinzo will continue operating in other regions. All of Loto-Quebec’s remaining properties will continue their operation. Those are the Casino de Mont-Tremblant, the Casino de Charlevoix, the Casino du Lac-Leamy, the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, the Salon de jeux de Trois-Rivières, and the Hilton Lac-Leamy.

The COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

Back in March this year, the government in Quebec ordered the temporary closure of all retail betting, gaming facilities, and other non-essential businesses as part of a temporary shutdown measure aiming at reducing the spread of COVID-19.

The response by Loto-Quebec back then was to suspend the physical sales of tickets and focus on online lottery sales. The operator contacted its clients and notified them that the only way to continue conducting business safely in the COVID-19 environment is by going online.  Although the temporary shutdown ended in May, some retails such as kiosks and other retails located in shopping centers remained closed.

Focusing on the COVID-19 spread in Canada, by now there were 158,000 reported positive COVID-19 cases. Of that total, some 134,000 patients have already recovered. The positive COVID-19 cases in Quebec alone have reached 74,000 after earlier this week spikes of positive COVID-19 cases were observed. But on the bright side, the patients who have successfully recovered from COVID-19 in Quebec are currently more than 62,000.