Billiards and darts are back at Arizona bars, likely due to pressure from a lawsuit against the state brought about by bar owners. From video games and pinball machines to jukeboxes and axe throwing, just about all the attractions are back, according to the Arizona Capitol Times.
Though not much has changed from a Covid infection perspective, Gov. Doug Ducey and Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ had been defending themselves in court against a lawsuit brought by more than 100 bar owners charging that their rules are “unlawfully discriminatory.” Restaurants have been able to operate with only occupancy limits for months, while bars faced additional hurdles, including keeping the arcade machines shut off.
Still, that lawsuit remains ongoing. The plaintiffs’ attorney Ilan Wurman said there are still unjustified restrictions on how his bar clients can do business.
The rules require a maximum of four players to a pool table; video games can only have two players to a machine with no spectators; masks are mandatory; and social distancing must be enforced.
In any case, this is a big boost for a lot of small bar businesses. As Wurman noted, games haven’t been off for some big operators that are licensed as restaurants and not bars.
