Slot machines were turned off, chairs were removed and in the casinos we visited, employees could be seen moving about the casino floor and sanitizing slot machine screens, buttons, counter tops and more.

All of those casinos opened with a list of conditions that included visitors getting their temperature checked before entering, wearing a face covering and maintaining social distance. Pala joined Harrah’s Resort Southern California Valley View Casino & Hotel Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa Spotlight 29 Casino Tortoise Rock Casino and the Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs in deciding to reopen Friday. In some ways it felt like a standard day at the casino, but there were also some notable changes in place. Slot machines displayed flashing graphics and made clanging noises as patrons spun the reels and Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard for the Money” played somewhere softly in the background at Pala Casino, Spa & Resort on Friday, May 22.