1. Free Drinks At Rivers Casino Slots
2. Free Drinks At Rivers Casino Entertainment
3. Free Drinks At Rivers Casino Buffet

When Rivers Casino Philadelphia reopened its doors in July after months of coronavirus-related shutdowns, its returning employees had to make some adjustments.

Cards on a blackjack table at Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, during a media tour in Schenectady, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) Will Waldron There is more to win. At Rivers, the Rush Rewards Card bounty included buffets, $50 gift cards, hundreds of bucks worth of slot play, entry into a slot tournament, a waffle maker, a food processor and a griddler.

For one, the salaried workers took 15% pay cuts. And everyone was given medical instructions that some industry experts deemed unusual: Employees who think they might have COVID-19 must immediately alert the casino’s human resources department.

But as for telling their immediate supervisors, workers were only supposed to disclose that they wouldn’t be coming in.

“Do NOT share ANY FURTHER details about the reason for your absence,” the Daily COVID-19 Self Assessment instructions read.

“We’ve had a lot of no shows, and it raises suspicions of why hasn’t management come out and said anything,” one employee told The Inquirer.

Coronavirus Coverage

Employees who have returned to the Fishtown casino since July 17 say that mandated secrecy is emblematic of the way management has run Rivers this summer. A group of current and recently resigned workers spoke to The Inquirer about their fears of getting infected when they have been forced to rely on rumors and whispers for their personal safety and that of their families.

They say that the casino’s mandates about how to properly clean surfaces are inconsistent, and often ignored. So is the requirement that customers must wear masks, with some dealers and supervisors not requiring gamblers to keep their face coverings on.

Those issues have frustrated these longtime employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearful of losing their jobs or facing reprisal.

Rivers Casino salaried staff facing a coronavirus pay cut“You got players walking around with masks on their necks, on their chin,” said one table games dealer. “The supervisors are afraid of the players. They haven’t been trained properly, and they’re afraid to say something.”

In recent weeks, as more and more dealers and other staff started to ask for days off amid this uncertainty, Rivers has been employing new strategies. Management issued a survey in late August, asking employees why so many of them were “calling out” and what would motivate them to keep coming to work. This week, Rivers announced a free, new “dealer school” to recruit new workers, and a sign-on bonus for experienced dealers joining the casino on a bank of the Delaware River that brought in $315 million in revenue last year.

“I don’t blame any of the management or my coworkers for why things were so bad — my coworkers and managers were some of the best people I worked for,” said another dealer. 'I blame the company. I blame the executives. I blame the city officials that allowed this to be open.

“I know people want to return to normalcy, but at what cost?” the dealer added.

Representatives from Rivers, operated by Rush Street Gaming, declined to be interviewed for this story. They instead issued a statement disputing the employees’ complaints, saying the number of call-outs has been decreasing. The company, which operates similarly named casinos in upstate New York, Iowa and Pittsburgh, said that it has hired additional cleaners to disinfect the facility and installed new air filters to help combat the virus.

“If any cases have potential for impact on Team Members or guests, they are notified accordingly,” Rivers management said in a statement. “Team Members with specific concerns are encouraged to speak with their Team Leaders. Our goal is to provide the safest possible environment and evolve as new information becomes available.”

The casino declined to provide specific numbers of positive COVID-19 cases among its staff. For their own privacy, employees are encouraged to talk only to their doctors or the casino’s state-appointed Pandemic Safety Officer, a casino spokesperson said.

New Jersey’s restaurants and casinos do the math on reopening indoorsEmployees at Rivers aren’t alone in not knowing if, or how badly, the virus has spread through their coworkers.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Health said that casinos licensed by the state are not required to report positive coronavirus cases among their employees. Some businesses, such as nursing homes and universities, are. Tallies of coronavirus cases are kept by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Board spokesperson Doug Harbach said that there have been 40 positive COVID-19 cases across the state’s 12 casinos since the state allowed them to reopen in June. Harbach declined to provide specific numbers for Rivers or any casino.

“The city health board inspected Rivers Philadelphia and found that the casino met and exceeded the standards for COVID safety,” Harbach said in a recent interview.

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Management at Rivers echoed this, saying that the casino “follows best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and meets or exceeds all COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols” from the state Gaming Control Board.

Pa. casino revenues return to pre-pandemic levels, but online gambling soarsBut according to city health officials, their visit to Rivers just before reopening was less an inspection than a walk through while recommending best practices for keeping gamblers and staff safe.

James Garrow, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Public Health, said department workers suggested to casino managers how far apart to seat players and what kind of barriers to erect, among other recommendations. It was not, he said, a formal, point-by-point inspection.

“We haven’t inspected any facility to provide them with a thumbs up on opening,” Garrow said in a statement.

But returning employees complain that most of the visits, either by the city or casino executives, have been during the day, when the number of patrons has been moderate. More safety issues have cropped up during the overnight shifts, when the bulk of gamblers enter Rivers, according to one supervisor who spoke with The Inquirer.

Less than half of Philadelphians are wearing masks properly, study findsEmployees also complain of shortages of cleaning supply or PPE, with one former employee saying that he had to fill out a formal request to get a pair of disposable gloves. In the first few days after the casino reopened, supply closets were stocked with disinfectants approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to be effective in killing the coronavirus, according to the supervisor and other employees.

Those supplies were quickly replaced, the supervisor said, with regular disinfectant wipes. When the supervisor spoke with a member of upper management about the switch, she was told it was done as a cost-saving measure.

Management disputes this characterization, saying that no supplies have ever been substituted, and that everything provided to the employees to use has been approved by the EPA. Photos of some of those supplies, shared with the Inquirer, show that none of them are included on the EPA’s approved list of disinfectants effective against COVID-19.

Other workers complained of combative night-shift guests who ignore calls to stop crowding around tables and argue with dealers about keeping their masks on.

One employee was so discouraged by this that he resigned in August.

“I had issues with certain managers reverting back to old rules, like if a player spends enough money, we don’t say anything to them. That bothered me,” he said. “And other situations where I saw managers who were just oblivious, and I wanted something done.”

Rivers is not unionized, and workers say they’ve had little opportunity to field their complaints.

Elsewhere, however, labor representatives at casinos with unions says re-openings have gone smoothly and continue to operate without issue.

C. Robert McDevitt, president of Unite Here Local 54 in Atlantic City, said the nine casinos his union works with — including Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester — have instituted “vigorous contact tracing” among employees. He said news of the edict by Rivers to limit the sharing of information about positive COVID cases was “shocking.”

“You should tell your coworkers if you work with them,' McDevitt said. 'It’s part of being a responsible adult.”

At Rivers, some workers are trapped between their need to collect a paycheck and concerns about personal safety. A few said they wish the furlough was never lifted.

“This is not something to be messed with,' said one longtime employee, who said he’s considering leaving. 'I don’t want to give this to my family. I don’t feel safe, and I know a lot of other employees don’t either.”

“There’s a lot of politics involved, for a lot of money they’re bringing in,” he added. “The fact that I can’t go to the Phillies game … but these people can come in and gamble? It’s just to make the city money.”

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©2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh is open. It was the first casino in Pennsylvania to welcome back guests on June 9 after all were closed to slow the spread of coronavirus.

With the NFL season approaching, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh is getting game-day ready. The casino is located about a quarter-mile from Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here are the latest news and updates about what’s coming in September at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh and what guests can expect on their next visit.

Updated hours at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh is expanding its hours. Starting on Sunday, Sept. 6, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh will be open nearly 24/7. It means it will only close on Tuesday from 4-9 a.m. and Wednesday from 4-9 a.m.

Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is gearing up for a comeback campaign after suffering a season-ending elbow injury. The Sportsbook at Rivers Casino is taking a cue from Big Ben and is ready for a big return.

The Sportsbook at Rivers Casino will be showing every available NHL, NBA and MLB game for the rest of the year, in addition to all NFL games when the season starts on Thursday, Sept. 1o. Betting windows are open during certain times, and kiosks are open 24/7.

BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh just launched the BetRivers Sportsbook Rewards program. With their Rush Rewards Players Club cards, players who accumulate $1,000 in wagers will earn $5 comp points to be used throughout the casino. After placing bets and accumulating points, Players Club members can customize how the comps are redeemed, with choices such as free play or complimentary dining.

Food and drink at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

At this time, soft drinks, water and coffee are being served on the casino floor and in the sportsbook. Smoking is not permitted on the gaming floor. The smoking pavilion is currently located in the valet area.

PA Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levinesigned new orders for increased coronavirus mitigation efforts on July 16. For casinos, it means a temporary pause on drink service and sitting at the bar, and lower capacity limits at restaurants.

Updated restrictions for bars and restaurants include:

• Prohibition from conducting operations unless the facility offers sit-down, dine-in meals or is serving takeout sales of alcoholic beverages. All service must be at a table or booth. No bar service.
• Alcohol can only be served for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal.
• Occupancy may not exceed 25% for indoor dining, or 25 persons for a discrete indoor event or gathering in a restaurant. The maximum occupancy limit includes staff. (The previous occupancy limit for indoor dining was 50%.)

Restaurants at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

Currently, at all of the places listed below, alcohol is available with meals only. At all Rivers Casino restaurants, alcohol service will end at 11 p.m. There will be no alcohol service on the casino floor.

Wheelhouse Bar & Grill:

Monday-Thursday: 4-11 p.m.
Friday-Sunday: Noon-11 p.m.

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• A “2 for $25” menu is available every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Select items from the menu include loaded Wheelhouse fries, beer-battered onion rings, chicken marsala, 8 oz. New York strip and seasonal cake for dessert.

FLIPT:

Sunday-Thursday: 11-2 a.m
Friday-Saturday: 11-3 a.m.

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• Show your Players Club Card for 20% off the menu.
• Choices for burgers included Breakfast Burger with cherrywood smoked bacon, an over-easy egg and aged cheddar; the plant-based Impossible Burger and a unique FLIPT Burger Wrap.

Mian:

Thursday-Monday: 5-11 p.m.
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays

• Show your Players Club Card for 20% off the menu.
• Quick-service authentic Asian cuisine with choices like General Tso’s chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and ramen.

Ciao:

Reopening with a modified menu with hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Hot dog cart:

From noon to 8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, and noon to 11 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday, a hot dog cart will be available for guests outside of Drum Bar. Hot dogs are $2 with Players Club Cards and $3 without. The cart also offers nachos, chips and soft drinks.

The poker room at Rivers Pittsburgh

The Rivers Poker Room is currently closed. When PA casinos reopened, poker rooms were not permitted to operate due to players handling cards and chips. The plan at that time was to continually monitor the situation and adjust things according to guidance from the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

PGCB Director of Communications Doug Harbach gave this update to PlayPennsylvania last week about poker rooms in Pennsylvania:

“There has been no alteration to the casino reopening protocols released by the Gaming Control Board in May in which poker rooms were not authorized to operate. At the same time, this guideline can be reexamined based on health experts’ guidance. Should casinos wish to explore reopening a casino room, it would need to provide plans to do so safely, which would be reviewed by the board on a case-by-case basis.”

A spokesperson for Rivers Pittsburgh said that plans for reopening poker rooms are yet to be determined.

Know before you go: Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

With increased health and safety protocols come questions about all casinos in Pennsylvania, including Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released “COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols” that detailed the minimum safety and health-related requirements mandatory before reopening. Of course, casinos can choose to implement additional measures.

When visiting any PA casino, here are some of the new safety guidelines:

• Casinos can reopen at 50% capacity.
• Employees and guests must wear masks.
• There are markings on the floor to promote social distancing.
• Enhanced cleaning is required throughout the facility.

In early July, the Pennsylvania Department of Health expanded on the business safety order requiring masks to be worn in all public places in addition to inside of businesses.

PGCB Executive Director Kevin O’Toole reached out to all of the state’s casinos about implementing the temporary ban on smoking in casinos. O’Toole determined that in the PGCB protocols, casinos must comply with guidelines from the PA Department of Health, which issued an updated order mandating masks in public.

When it reopened, Rivers started a new initiative, “Rivers Clean,” which represents a rigorous property-wide cleaning and disinfectant program to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

It also upgraded its HVAC system to include airPHX, a technology that continuously disinfects indoor air and eliminates coronavirus on surfaces. In addition, the casino also features AtmosAir, an indoor air quality purification system that is proven to neutralize coronavirus by more than 99.9%.

September promotions at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

There are a number of promotions running at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh all month long. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Over $100,000 Perfect Pick Weekly Challenge:

SFrom Tuesday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Jan. 3, guests can earn an entry each week to pick the winners of that week’s NFL games. If a guest selects all of the correct winners, they’ll win the Progressive Top Cash Prize, which will grow by $7,000 each week if it isn’t hit.

Over $15,000 Sit-Play-Win Drawings:

On Thursday, Sept. 17 and 24, Rush Rewards members actively playing a slot machine with their Player’s Club card are eligible to win free slot play at each drawing at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. At each drawing, 10 winners will have the chance to win $200 in free slot play.

$30,000 High Limit Jackpot Drawing:

From now through Saturday, Sept. 26, guests who win a taxable jackpot in the High Limits slot area will receive an entry into the $30,000 High Limit Jackpot Drawings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 26. At each drawing, 10 winners will be selected to win a share of $15,000 in free slot play.

$10,000 Jackpot Drawing:

Guests who win a taxable jackpot on a slot machine from 7:51 p.m. on Aug. 26 through 7:50 p.m. on Sept. 30 will receive an entry for the $10,000 Jackpot Drawings on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. At each drawing, 10 guests will be selected to win a share of $5,000 in free slot play.