The largest casino in Europe has announced today that it will remain closed to visitors until September 1st at the earliest.
King’s Casino, which sits on the Czech/German border in the town of Rozvadov, is one of the most popular poker destinations in the world. While some venues sell themselves on what they offer outside of the game of poker, King’s do the opposite, with almost nothing to offer in Rozvadov itself except the stunning cardroom itself, which has hosted the WSOP Europe, MILLIONS Main Events and many other major events.
Today’s announcement that the venue will remain closed to the poker-playing public has an ominous air to it, therefore. Head to the King’s website and you’ll be greeted with a fairly stark yet staple statement:
“In compliance with the Czech government-issued restrictions on March 12 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, King’s Resort, King’s Casino Prague and Casino Admiral Rozvadov will be temporarily closed from today, 13th of March, until further notice. King’s Resort Team deeply apologizes for any inconvenience these measures may have caused. Please check our social media for any further updates.”
Vague enough to be encouraging, you might think. This week’s announcement from the Czech government, however, is less so. The Czech Republic was one of the first countries to completely lockdown, closing its borders quickly and restricting cases of the coronavirus to a little over 1,000 on March 22nd. As of today, that number is at 3,085, with 44 deaths.
The Czech crisis team who are managing the outbreak response have announced that the border closure would be subject to a “multi-month ban… but at least six months.”
With foreign visitors allowed to leave but not enter, the Czech Republic if officially closed for business, but Leon Tsoukernik was keen to let players know that they see the WSOPE in autumn as the “first major festival after the crisis”.
While King’s Casino will be closed for the foreseeable, casino staff will be paid. Tsouklernik also announced that all staff would be paid in full until at least September the 1st, with Rob yong doing the same at Dusk Till Dawn, and many other poker companies sharing the same spirit of generosity.
“Unfortunately, we also have to assume that it can still take a few months before we can welcome our guests from abroad, especially from the German-speaking region, again at King’s.” the latest statement on King’s Facebook page said. “We will definitely keep you posted as soon as we know more! Stay strong and healthy!”
While it may be some time before we see any poker action at King’s as well as other casinos, the amusing ‘Social Distancing’ video on King’s page will hopefully raise a smile in these times without any card games.
