Nevada Gives Casinos Go-Ahead For June 4 Reopening
by Lisette VoytkoTOPLINE
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said Tuesday that the state’s casinos, including gambling meccas Las Vegas, are allowed to reopen starting June 4, 2020, capping off two and a half months of unprecedented shutdowns—but with social distancing guidelines and other protective measures in place, betting against the house will likely look different for the foreseeable future.
KEY FACTS
Sisolak, who is self-quarantining in his residence following possible exposure to Covid-19, told reporters Tuesday: “We welcome the visitors from across the country to come here, to have a good time, no different than they did previously, but we’re gonna be cautious.”
Nevada’s Gaming Control Board released health and safety guidelines for casinos May 1, which limits occupancy to 50% and requires staff to follow disinfection and social distancing protocols.
Plexiglass barriers will likely be new features at card tables and slot machines, along with regulations limiting three players at a time for blackjack and four for poker.
Some resorts are planning to use thermal cameras at entrances, plastic barriers at hotel check-in desks and will remove seating from pools and other common areas to enforce social distancing.
The reopening date comes over a month after Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman advocated to use the city as “a control group” for health authorities to measure the effects of lifting restrictions, which drew sharp criticism from a slate of public figures, including CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Big number
Three million. That’s how many monthly visitors Las Vegas welcomed in early 2020, prior to the coronavirus-induced shutdown.
Crucial quote
“It’s going to bounce back,” El Cortez Hotel & Casino general manager Adam Wiesberg told the New York Times. “Las Vegas is part of the American culture. And I think it will come back better than ever.”
Key background
Although gamblers can return to Las Vegas’ casinos next week, other parts of its economy, including entertainment and large buffets, will remain on pause. Some casinos could raise minimum bets at card tables to offset some of their lost revenue. Although Sisolak said the casinos could once again shutter if infection rates spike, he was confident about their reopening. “I don’t think you’re going to find a safer place to come to than Las Vegas by June 4, with the protocols that we’ve put in place, than the testing that we’ve put in place, with the contact tracing that will be in place by that time,” he said. “We’re encouraging visitors to come and enjoy themselves and have a good time.”
Tangent
Three Nevada businesses that won’t be cleared for reopening come June 4? Brothels, nightclubs and strip clubs, according to the Associated Press.
Further reading
Nevada to reopen casinos June 4, welcoming tourists again (Associated Press)
A Socially Distanced Las Vegas? What Are The Odds? (New York Times)
Las Vegas Mayor Doubles Down On Her Call To Reopen Casinos (Forbes)