NEW: Rivers Casino & Resort Announces Exciting New Guidelines

Shuffle up and deal, Capital Region gamblers! It's the moment we've all been waiting for.

On the heels of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's news conference yesterday, in which COVID-19 mandates and guidelines were loosened and largely lifted, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady made an announcement of their own.

Here it is:

Following New York Governor Cuomo’s announcement yesterday and approval from the New York State Gaming Commission, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady is now back to operating at full capacity. The health and safety of our guests and Team Members continue to be a high priority and our “Sure BetSanitized” cleaning program will remain in place. Following the CDC and Governor Cuomo’s advice masks are still required for guests who are not fully vaccinated, and optional for guests who are fully vaccinated. - Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady on Facebook

Included in the Facebook announcement are a few more nuggets of information, all of which will bring a smile to a casino-goer's face. Plexiglass dividers will be removed from tables and slot machines, and Van Slyck’s bar will open up this Friday, and open every Friday and Saturday moving forward.

All of this is amazing news, and brings a certain sense of relief to me as I read this. Seeing the "removal of" this and the "opening up" of this is a reminder of the resiliency we all showed in battling through the last 15 months. The opening of a casino/resort is another step in the right direction toward returning the world to normalcy.

Not only that, but now you can also feel safer visiting Rivers Sportsbook, inside the Casino and Resort, in order to place your sports wagers. Also, don't forget to tune into The Drive with Charlie & Dan every day at 5:30PM for What's on Tap, proudly sponsored by Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady.