Nothing can be served on casino floor, so there’s no reason to take off your mask.” Griffo made this statement early this year. “Cardrooms are one of the safest environments to be out in right now. “People have been itching to get out to do some sort of entertainment,” said John Griffo, the director of business development for Commerce Casino, which hosts one of the world’s largest poker rooms. Since then, the different poker rooms in LA County have managed to bounce back. On January 25, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom lifted stay-at-home orders, thus allowing the poker rooms in LA County to officially reopen for business. Much like the rest of the world, LA’s poker scene took a huge hit when physical businesses had to close for public health reasons. However, this all came to a halt when the pandemic came. While LA isn’t famous for its casinos, its high-stakes poker rooms are comparable to those found in globally prominent gaming spots like Las Vegas and Macau. The state of California is well known for having its own unique and highly competitive poker scene – most of which can be found in Los Angeles.
