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Local charities will be thrilled to hear the sounds of “Bingo” once again throughout Saskatchewan.
Under Phase 4.2 of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, casinos and bingo halls were allowed to reopen Thursday after being closed several months ago due to COVID-19.
Patsy Warren, president and COO of Amalgamated Charities Inc., said her organization is thrilled to see bingos reopening once again.
Centennial Bingo in Regina on July 9, 2020. (Libby Giesbrecht/980 CJME)
“Our charities can get back and start making some money,” Warren said. “Bingo is a big source of their revenue and they haven’t been able to get that revenue while we were closed so they’re really excited.
“It’s great news.”
Hockey Regina, the CNIB, Gymnastics Adventure, and the Elizabeth Fry Society are among the 104 charities that raise funds through bingo and Amalgamated Charities.
Three bingo hall locations in Regina are set to reopen, along with one in Moose Jaw and one in Saskatoon.
“I’m really excited the staff can get back to work,” Warren said. “The majority of them have been off so they’re really excited to get back. We’re excited to see the customers.
“We’re just having a great day today.”
Visitors will be returning to a near-normal situation when they visit the newly reopened bingo halls, but Warren says people will need to be patient.
“When they come through the door we’re doing a little bit of screening when they come in and taking temperatures with a non-contact thermometer, giving them a squirt of sanitizer and then they’re on their way,” Warren explained.
Bingo hall staff and workers from charities will wear masks when they can’t social distance, but visitors will be socially distanced as much as possible while at the hall. Certain tables and chairs will be marked as unusable to ensure social-distancing measures are followed.
Sanitization stations will also be available throughout the halls for visitors to regularly sanitize their hands.
Warren said the general experience will still very much resemble what visitors remember and love about playing the game.
“Everyone’s going to be yelling ‘Bingo!’ and winning some money,” she said, “It’s just going to take a little bit longer to get through the door.”
Warren also noted fewer people in the room will increase visitors’ chances of getting to call out “Bingo!”