Louisiana’s casinos will have to wait a few more days to reopen to the public, even as casinos in other states continue to push the pandemic envelope.

On Monday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that his state’s casinos – which have been shut since March 17 to minimize COVID-19 transmission – would be allowed to open their doors this Friday (15). However, Tuesday saw state gambling regulators and law enforcement insist nothing will reopen until next Monday (18) at the earliest.

Louisiana Gaming Control Board chair Ronnie Jones told local media that each of the state’s casinos and video poker venues will need to apply to reopen and provide details on how their gaming floors will be amended to accommodate the new social distancing requirements.

The first phase of the gaming restart will restrict operators to 25% of their venue’s capacity, which will be raised to 50% in Phase 2 of the state’s post-pandemic economic jumpstart. Phase 2 won’t begin until June 5 at the earliest, and some smaller Louisiana gaming operators are questioning the wisdom of reopening with just 25% of gaming capacity.