France And Italy Implement Mandatory COVID-19 Passes At All Casinos

Some countries are now requiring players to present proof that they’re fully vaccinated before they are allowed to enter European casinos. France and Italy have now made health passes mandatory at casinos and other leisure and hospitality venues, and more countries could soon follow suit.

The move comes in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in both countries, mainly brought about by the more transmissible Delta variant.

Under new guidelines, customers will now be asked to show certain documents proving that they’re not a health risk before they can enter casinos in France and Italy.

Players should be “fully vaccinated“, which means they must have received either one or two shots of the COVID-19 jab, depending on the brand of the vaccine.

Those developed by Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca require two doses, while Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine is a single-shot jab.

Alternatively, if patrons cannot present a vaccination pass, they must prove that they are not virus carriers by showing a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of visiting the casino. Those who have been previously infected may also present an RT-PCR or antigen test showing that they’ve fully recovered from the virus.

France and Italy have also reinstated the mandatory wearing of face masks, barely two months after going mask-free. Apart from France and Italy, four other European territories are now enforcing the health pass requirement, including Portugal, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Slovenia. Germany could also take a similar approach, with some states already putting in place their own restrictions.

King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic will also be asking for COVID passes from players who want to participate in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).

In the UK, where all pandemic-related restrictions were removed back in July, customers can freely enter casinos without presenting a health pass. COVID passes could become a requirement across the country’s nightclubs beginning September, but there’s been no sign as of yet that if a similar measure will be implemented at casinos or elsewhere.

New Rules Ignite Protests

Not everyone is accepting of these changes though. In France in particular, civil unrest broke out across the country as soon as the new rules were announced.

Associated Press

Protesters think their civil liberties are now under attack due to the implementation of the mandatory health passes, with those choosing not to get vaccinated becoming more prone to discrimination. The French government has remained undeterred by the protests and is pushing on with the new guidelines.

Of course all this can be avoided, If you don’t want to be forced to take a vaccine for whatever reason or do not want to show your health status there are plenty options for you to still enjoy the casino experience with some of the best online casinos in the world right at your finger tips