Caesars Windsor officially reopening after pandemic shutdown

After being closed for most of the pandemic,Caesars Windsor is reopening at half capacity.

The casino's grand opening starts at10 a.m. on Friday, though someinvited customers got a sneak peek on Wednesday.

So far, just slot machines and some food and beverage outlets are open, but table games could resume as soon as July 28, pending regulatory approval.The hotel and the Colosseum concert venue remain closed.

Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy,who represents the unionized workers, said they are "ecstatic" to be coming back.

"The mood's been great. People are really excited about getting back to work and doing what they do best," he said.

Only about 600 of the 2,200unionized staff have been called back in at this point.Cassidy said he thinks that more of the operation could safely reopen.

"That's something we're working on still, because we're putting a lot of pressure on the employer, so that we get all the outlets open, we get the hotel open, valet, our shows, banquets," he said.

The casino is reopening with public health guidelines in place, including a mandatory mask policy.

The opening comes a week after Ontario enteredthe third step of its reopening plan.With the exception of a brief, limited reopening lastfall, the casinohas been closed since March 2020.