Located in Sandersville, MS, Bok Homa is the latest addition to Pearl River Resort, a family-style destination boasting more than 2,400 slot machines, 69 table games, 1,074 hotel rooms, excellent dining options, European spa facilities, shopping and live entertainment. You can also enjoy championship golf on two courses at Dancing Rabbit Golf. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben welcomes guests to Bok Homa Casino after it reopened from closing since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic in Sandersville, Miss.
© Provided by Hattiesburg-Laurel WDAM-TV No date has been set for the casino's reopening.JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - While many casinos across Mississippi are now open, Bok Homa Casino in Sandersville remains closed.
The casino closed in March due to COVID-19 concerns. Since then, major steps have been taken in preparation for its reopening, like adding thermal temperature scanners to the casino entrance.
“The device itself will record the temperature from the outside to the temperature on the inside and will also check the heat from the neck to the face and it give us a read out of the temperature,” Pearl River Resort Director of Security Faron Gardner said. “Anything 100.4 or above, that’s going to get our attention.”
The casino also plans to install a Trane UV Light Air Cleaning System.
“It will take about 99.9 percent of all pathogens out of the system, including things like measles and everything else, the flu, common flu,” Pearl River Resort Chief Information Officer William Burtch said.
Table games will be limited to a certain number of players.
“You’ll see circles on the floor so you’ll know exactly where to stand so we can maintain our social distancing guidelines and keep everybody safe,” Pearl River Resort Director of Table Games Neal Atkinson said.
Cleaning machines will also be used to disinfect all gaming chips. In addition to their sanitation protocols, the casino has removed several chairs from slot machines.
“We’re going to have every other machine out of order, so we have some space in between the guest so they’ll be comfortable and safe,” Pearl River Resort Director of Slot Operations Kristine Walker said.
In the sportsbook area, social distancing placards have been placed.
“We’ve added two additional kiosks so we can have the capacity with plexiglass dividers,” Atkinson said. “We’re going to really advocate that people use their mobile app cause that’s the guaranteed way to be safe and to socially distance. That’s the easiest way to make a bet when you’re on the Bok Homa property.”
The casino will also be using an electrostatic spray technology to disinfect surfaces throughout the facility.
“We have actually put in over $600,000 worth of technology between our three properties; Golden Moon, Silver Star and right here at Bok Homa Casino,” Pearl River Resort Director of Public Relations Erica Moore said. “We’re taking this very seriously and we’re going to make sure that this is one of the safest place that our guest can choose to come and play.
Bok Homa Casino is requiring facemasks for associates and has added additional hand sanitizer stations around the property. No date has been set for their reopening.
Copyright 2020 WDAM. All rights reserved.
CHOCTAW, Miss. — The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is planning a phased reopening of its Pearl River Resort amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The tribe said its Bok Homa Casino in Sandersville is opening its doors Friday.
Golden Moon Hotel & Casino in Neshoba County will open a week later, on Aug. 14. Reopening has not been set for Silver Star Casino, which is across a highway from Golden Moon and is connected by a pedestrian bridge.
'It's very devastating': COVID-19 ravages Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
The Choctaw casinos have been closed for more than four months because of the pandemic. Mississippi's state-regulated casinos along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River closed about two months, and many reopened in late May.
© Rogelio V. Solis, AP Dusk envelopes the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' trademark globe atop the Golden Moon Casino and Hotel, Tuesday, July 21, 2020, in Philadelphia, Miss. The seriousness of COVID-19 and its effect on the tribe, are highlighted by the continued closure of the gaming venues, their hotels and the widely attended water park in Philadelphia. Around 1,000 people tribal members have tested positive for the virus, including the tribal chief. More than 70 have died. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)“We are excited to welcome our guests back and look forward to safely providing them with outstanding service and a comfortable gaming experience,” William Johnson, president and CEO of Pearl River Resort, said in a statement.
(Story continues after photo gallery.)
Johnson said guests will be asked to follow social distancing protocols. Before entering the property, each person's temperature will be scanned. In addition, each guest and employee will be required to wear a face covering or mask.
More: State starts job training program for workers who lost jobs due to COVID-19
Johnson said the casinos will use machines to disinfect gaming chips at table games. During designated times, sections of each casino will be closed for cleaning.
The Choctaw-owned Geyser Falls Water Theme Park in Neshoba County will remain closed the rest of this summer. People who bought 2020 season passes can use those in 2021, according to a Pearl River Resort news release.
Boca Homa Casino Sandersville Mississippi
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians reopening one of its casinos today