Canada’s largest province has cleared most of its casinos to reopen following their pandemic shutdowns, although it’s unclear whether casino operators intend to reopen anytime soon.

On Tuesday, the government of Ontario announced that Stage 3 of its economic restart would permit casinos and charitable gaming centers “in certain regions” to reopen to the public as of this Friday (17).

However, the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG) provincial gambling monopoly said venues looking to reopen will need to submit plans detailing their health and safety precautions and will face significant limits on their ability to generate revenue.

For instance, casinos will be prohibited from operating any table games “at this time.” Gaming venues will only be allowed to admit a maximum of 50 customers at any given time and all persons on-site will be required to observe a two-meter physical distancing requirement.