Ever since Las Vegas closed its doors back in mid-March, casino owners, employees and punters have been clamoring for sin city to open once more.
Late last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board laid out a set of regulations that casinos will need to follow once they reopen and the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) just gave them the green light.
This is a huge step forwards as the NGC is considered the final authority on regulations and licensing.
Live action from the Pussy Cat Dolls Casino floor
Could Vegas Open Soon?
Despite the NGC giving the new regulations the green light, casinos will have to wait a little longer to throw open their doors.
A number of casinos from the Vegas strip have already announced their intentions to be open by Memorial Day weekend, and they’re just waiting on Gov. Steve Sisolak to approve.
Gov. Sisolak has already said that casinos won’t be in the first wave of businesses that can reopen, but it’s likely that they will be in the second phase.
The first wave of restrictions to be lifted is expected to be announced later on today, but Gov. Sisolak hasn’t made it clear whether casinos will be open in time for Memorial Day weekend.
What Will Casinos Look Like?
The new regulations that will be put in place will cut the casino max capacity by half and will limit conferences to 250 attendees.
At the slot machines, every second machine will be turned off and will have the chair removed.
As for tables, blackjack tables will be limited to three players, six players will be allowed at a craps table, with four allowed at a roulette table and four allowed at a poker table.
Seven days before opening to the public, casinos will need to submit plans of how they intend to sanitize everything in the casinos, from chairs and tables to slot machines and dice.
A Huge Step Forwards
This is a massive leap for casinos and punters alike and potentially bad news for online casinos.
Online casinos around the United States have been enjoying a boost in player numbers thanks to the closure of casinos.
But as casinos begin to open once more, there’s a very good chance that these numbers could curtail as punters head back to the casino floor.
As casinos open reopen, we could very well see major sporting leagues resume, even if it’s behind closed doors at first.
This will be a warm welcome for sportsbooks around the globe as they’ve taken a major hit with the COVID-19 fallout.
More Coming Soon
We’re going to have to hold on and see what Gov. Sisolak has to say on the matter later on today, but we’re not expecting any word on casinos for the time being.
If we can see some restrictions lifted on live sports, sportsbooks, especially those just launching in Colorado, starting to thrive.
Memorial Day weekend feels a bit optimistic for casinos in Las Vegas to reopen, and quite frankly we’re in no rush.
Online casinos have come on in leaps and bounds following the increased demand from COVID-19, giving players more fun and excitement than ever before!
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