COVID-19 has been making its presence felt across the globe, and a resurgence in the United States has casinos fearing for their lives.
Having only reopened back in July, casinos in Vegas have been fearing this day for quite some time.
For the next three weeks, Las Vegas casinos will have to follow some very tight measures in a bid to curb COVID in the city.
Las Vegas is going quiet for 3 weeks
Not a Total Closure… For Now
The last thing Vegas needs right now is a total closure order, and thankfully, Governor Steve Sisolak has decided against such a move.
So, for the next here weeks, every casino, bar, restaurant, arcade, museum, theme park, race track and public venue must cap capacity at 25% of the max.
This will come as a huge hit to venues such as bars and restaurants as by capping the max capacity at 25% effectively cuts their earnings in half once more.
Casinos can still cope and function quite nicely with these new restrictions in place, simply blocking off 3 out of every 4 slot machines in a row.
Additionally, when in the presence of others from outside their own household, people must wear a face covering.
Speaking on the new rules, Gov Sisolak said: “My goal is to aggressively try to attack this spread, while maintaining some portion of our economy and our daily lives.
That is why I am announcing that effective Tuesday, at 12.01am, Nevada will be operating under a statewide pause.”
Following in Detroit’s Footsteps
Last week, Detroit announced that its 3 casinos will be closing their doors for at least 3 weeks.
Casinos in the city were some of the last to open in the US following the nation-wide shuttering of gambling venues earlier this year, and to be shut again once more is a huge hit for the industry.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is taking every precaution necessary to curb COVID in her state, and it appears as if Gov Sisolak is following her lead.
However, Nevada is taking a gentler approach, allowing casinos to remain open. We’ll have to wait and see if it’s as effective as Gov Whitmer’s approach…
Gov Sisolak himself tested positive for COVID a couple of weeks ago, so his recommendations are coming from a place of personal experience.
The Culinary Union in Las Vegas has long been campaigning for this action to take place, after reporting that more than 350 members and their family members have tested positive for COVID since casinos reopened.
If numbers still don’t dip down by the end of the three-week period, then we could see measures extended or taken to the next level.
If numbers continue to increase, Gov Sisolak could be forced to shut down Las Vegas and the entire state once more, a move that will not win him many fans.
Just Head Online
Numbers in Las Vegas were down heavily from the same period last year as they were, and with this second wave, numbers are going to tank even harder.
This had led many casinos in the state to begin offering online platforms, and we’ll likely see more and more casinos from the strip joining this movement.
Online casinos are far safer from COVID-19 as you’re not exposed to anyone, making them the casinos of choice for your health!
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