June 18, 2020 – They Just Re-opened
The casinos have been closed in Indiana, and most of the country, for about three months now, which in casino time and earnings loss is probably an eternity. Indiana Grand just reopened on June 15, 2020. Of course, that meant that my daughter and I would be heading over there! It’s been much too long since we had a chance to play video poker, slots, and enjoy ourselves!
On June 18 I made the 90-minute drive to Shelbyville in order to spend the day at Indiana Grand. It’s a bit of a drive, but it’s worth it to me, and it’s the closest casino to where I live. I do wish they had a hotel there! If so, I would spend a night or two. I enjoy being able to have a glass of wine while I play, and if I have to drive home 90 minutes, I do now allow myself that luxury.
I Finally Arrive
I ended up spending about 7 hours at Indiana Grand that day, and my daughter was also able to join me. What a great day, mostly just to get out of the house and back to a casino. The only place I have been to in the last three months is the grocery store. And I don’t consider that very relaxing!
They opened on Monday morning, and from all accounts it was pretty busy the first two days, with very long lines and wait times just to get in. They are limited to 50% capacity, so once it gets to the number, everyone else has to wait.
I got there today, a Thursday, just before 10 AM. There was no line. Their procedure seemed to be pretty organized. I had to walk through a metal “door” which I assume took your temperature, but I didn’t see anything for sure. They also checked ID and asked you to take your mask down for the cameras. Masks were recommended, but not yet mandatory, except if you were playing at a table game. Just FYI – Masks are NOW mandatory. And as of this writing, they are mandatory all through Indiana.
Casino Procedures
Once I got inside, it was not busy at all, but it was only 10 AM. And that is why I like to go early, it’s less busy, not as many people smoking, and I can get on the machines that I like. They did have all the usual social distancing that almost all casinos have adopted, every other machine was turned off, only three players on a table game. I believe for craps, that was 3 players per side, so six total.
All staff wore masks, and players were encouraged but not mandatory. (Again, it is mandatory now) I did wear my mask! And it actually helps with the smoke smell as well. There was no plexiglass anywhere like in some casinos. I didn’t see a lot hand sanitizer dispensers set around the casino, but I didn’t look hard. I did bring my own sanitizer, as well as wipes for the machines. I saw an attendant cleaning machines here and there, but not as soon as someone left a machine.
There was no cocktail service on the floor, but you could go to the bar and get a drink. Their self-serve machines were staffed by an attendant handing out waters or soda. You were not able to serve yourself.
Laurel Lounge
Since this is a Caesars property, they do have a Diamond Lounge, now called Laurel Lounge. And since I am a Diamond member, I like to use their lounge when I am there.
On a normal pre-COVID day, they Laurel Lounge would open at 2 PM for drinks and snacks/finger food. They do not offer complementary drinks, even for Diamond members, since Indiana does not allow that. However, they do offer a special price for drinks and wine for the members. At 5 PM they normally put out some type of hot food, and it’s pretty decent.
The day I was there, June 18, the Laurel Lounge was not even open so that wasn’t an option. I have been there since, and it is now open again, however they are not serving any food, only drinks.
All in all, we had a great day! I didn’t have a winning day, per se, but I almost broke even. I played some video poker, some slots, and a little Mississippi Stud. The table was set at $10, but we had seen no one play there in hours, so we asked if they would consider lowering it. The dealer checked with the floor, and shockingly, they lowered it to $5 for us. We played for quite a while but ended up losing our buy-in. Still, we had a great time!
A Few Wins
Here are a couple of my best hits!
