There’s only one kind of fever allowed in newly-reopened casinos these days; and that’s gambling fever. Anyone with a high temperature can expect to be screened at the entrance of most U.S. casinos. The temperature screening method employed varies by casino.
High Tech, Low Tech
The type of temperature screening device depends on the casino which employs it, but there are two basic types: high and low tech. The high tech temperature control device consists of thermal cameras aimed at all people who enter the casino premises. For the old school, low tech option, casino staff will point a handheld temperature screening device at the foreheads of visitors.
Not all casinos will employ temperature checks, and their use varies by state law. Some states mandate temperature checks in some form before allowing visitors; others require only masks and regular sanitizing measures.
And each casino employs each temperature control method according to their budget and casino size. Since the thermal cameras are not visible, you won’t even know you’re being scanned. The forehead temp check is obvious. Which option will you get when you visit a casino? You’ll just have to spin the wheel of temp check to find out.
Results May Vary
While some may question the ethics of temperature monitoring without knowledge or permission, this argument is easily quashed. The cameras that measure your temperature are the same ones which do facial recognition and casino security. If you walk into a casino, it’s like walking into an airport. You will be checked or you will not enter.
However, some inconsistencies have been reported regarding the temperature checks. First, a high temperature does not mean a person has COVID-19. Fever is only one of the possible symptoms. Second, when someone has walked across a huge parking lot in the sun to get to the casino, their temperature may spike.
Pennsylvania is one of the states that does not mandate temperature checks, but many casinos are doing so anyway. Lady Luck Nemacolin, a small rural casino owned by Churchill Downs, uses the forehead temp check device at the entrances.
Larger casinos with larger budgets employ thermal cameras, like Mohegan Sun Pocono. Their cameras simultaneously register temperature and facial recognition checks on everyone who enters. These high tech monitoring systems cost around $20,000 to implement, whereas handheld devices cost around $50 to $70 each.
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