MALHEUR COUNTY, Ore. — Malheur County remains in Oregon's "extreme risk" category for the spread of COVID-19, meaning restaurants in the county can only offer outdoor dining.
However, under a new change ordered by Gov. Kate Brown, people can go inside those very same restaurants to play the Oregon Lottery video machines. They just can't eat inside.
“We were very surprised and very confused, which has changed over into anger,” said Sara Lynch, front of house manager at Brewsky’s Broiler in Ontario.
The restaurant's food sales have been down as much as 75% since November, according to Lynch, because they could no longer offer in-person dining.
Even though the state is allowing people to go inside Brewsky’s to play the lottery machines, the restaurant has decided to keep their machines off.
“If it’s not safe to have people in here, then it’s not safe to have people in here,” Lynch said. “I cannot even bring you a glass of water unless I serve you on the patio.”
The guidance is still strict for playing the lottery machines in extreme risk counties. There can not be any more than six people inside at one time playing. This works out because the Oregon Lottery only allows a business to have six machines total.
Someone who wishes to play has to ask an employee before they can start playing. The employee must clean and disinfect the machine before play. Someone cannot change machines until they have asked an employee at the business.
The business also has to ensure a minimum of six feet of distance between platers, and players must wear a mask at all times that cover their nose and mouth.
“I can see where a retailer is thinking if you got people inside playing video, why can't they be physically distanced in my restaurant area,” Oregon Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann said.
Baumann understands the frustration from restaurant owners and told KTVB the pandemic hasn’t been easy on the Oregon Lottery either.
“We had layoffs that we've never had, rolling furloughs through the summer months,” he said.
Video lottery machines make up 70% of the Oregon Lottery’s revenues and are the second-largest moneymaker for the state behind income taxes.
The machines are located statewide in bars, taverns, or restaurants.
“Video lottery is the heavy lifter as far as games are concerned,” Baumann said.
While restaurant workers aren't happy about it, Malheur County Health Department Director Sarah Poe said the guidance makes some sense from a public health viewpoint.
“People can keep their masks on their nose and mouth and keep socially distanced,” she said. “Eating and drinking in a group in a public space indoors is actually one of the riskiest activities there is for the spread of coronavirus.”
Poe said allowing people inside with masks on is the start to loosening some of the other restrictions. However, Malheur County’s metrics need to go down before that happens.
The numbers are trending in the right direction for the most part, according to Poe. However, they are still a ways off from where they want to be. One of the metrics that needs to be met is a case rate of less than 200 per 100,000 population. Right now the case rate in Malheur County is in the high 400s.
“Things overall seem to be improving but while they’re improving it still doesn’t mean we don’t have significant spread and risk,” Poe said.
Meanwhile, Lynch argues that allowing people inside to gamble when they can't eat or drink inside isn't the right solution.
“We want to be responsible and we don't think it's responsible," she said. "We think it's asking for trouble."
The revenue generated by the Oregon Lottery helps fund a number of services throughout the state, including public education, state parks, veteran services and more. The business gets to keep a portion of the revenue as well.
Even with that incentive to turn the machines on, Brewsky’s plans to keep them off.
“We just think that when we get cleared to have people in our dining room, then we can feel good about having people in here gambling,” Lynch said.
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