Nevada Gov. Sisolak Weighs New Coronavirus Restrictions as Casino Operators Face Uncertainty
Posted on: November 18, 2020, 11:38h.
Last updated on: November 19, 2020, 10:33h.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is intimating about new health restrictions on Nevada gaming properties as COVID-19 cases continue to escalate. Las Vegas casinos have yet to fully recover from earlier closings.
Without providing any specifics, the Democratic governor left open the possibility on Wednesday that he could once again shutter casinos. Experts worry about further financial impact to the casino industry, which is already stricken with weekday closures and revenue losses from months of closings.
“My administration is exploring all mitigation options available to get this under control,” Sisolak told reporters. “We will have to wait and see what happens next week.”
He says he is “attempting to protect our very fragile economy.” It is like “walking a tightrope to balance public health and economic impacts,” the governor explained.
With just days to go before Thanksgiving, Sisolak announced he will detail “very soon” the next steps to address the state’s surge. On Nov. 10, Sisolak encouraged Nevadans to remain at home as a way to curb the new wave in the outbreak. But for now, casinos remain open.
When asked about possible new restrictions, Stephen M.?Miller, director of UNLV’s?Center for Business and Economic Research, where he also teaches economics, said Sisolak’s recent Stay at Home 2.0 directive “was light on specifics.
“If you can work from home, do so. Wear a mask at all times.?In 14 days, reevaluation will occur,” Miller summarized the plan.
You probably need more than 14 days to see significant effects, since positive tests, hospitalizations, and deaths follow a dynamic path,” Miller told Casino.org. “If the curves continue?to climb for the rest of the 14 days — six left — then we will probably see restrictions on gathering-together sectors?— restaurants, bars, gyms, churches, casinos, and so on.”
When asked about casinos, Anthony Cabot, Distinguished Fellow of Gaming Law at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law, called the “rapid escalation of COVID-19 … unwelcome news.” He noted how travelers continue to be hesitant about boarding a plane, and there are “growing issues in California.” Both factors impact visitor counts in Nevada, he added.
We have to wait to see if the governor directs these new restrictions at the casino market or to other businesses,” Cabot told Casino.org. “Speculating on whether these enhanced restrictions will impact the tourist casinos is challenging to predict.”
Nationally, Stephen Miller urges a bipartisan fiscal relief plan to help businesses and workers in any sector which requires customers to gather together in public.
Miller further noted the economy recovered only “about one half of the loss of economic activity that occurred in March and April…. The recovery has slowed and could head South again.”
Anthony Cabot adds Nevada’s economy “is literally in the balance” and requires a successful rollout of the coronavirus vaccines.
Several States Begin to Shutter Casinos
Other states have begun closing gaming venues because of the surge in coronavirus cases. Illinois’ commercial casinos close starting on Friday. There is no reopening date yet.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan’s tribal and commercial casinos were to close as of Wednesday. New Mexico started to shutter tribal casinos on Monday.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia will be closed starting Friday until Jan. 1. On Thursday, Ohio kicked off a three-week retail curfew between 10 pm and 5 am. Massachusetts also has cut hours at its three commercial casinos.
Elsewhere, Atlantic City casinos remain open. But restaurants — including those in Atlantic City casinos — were ordered not to serve food or beverages indoors between 9 pm and 5 am.
Sisolak Recovers in Isolation at Home
On Friday, Sisolak tested positive for coronavirus. He said he had “mild head congestion.” He remains quarantined at his Carson City home.
He is not alone. On Wednesday, Nevada saw 1,665 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths.
In total, the pandemic has led to 125,459 cases and 1,947 deaths in Nevada. Also, this week the state saw the highest number of patients in hospitals because of the pandemic.
Faced with the surge, Alan Feldman, a former MGM Resorts International executive who now is affiliated with UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, recently told Casino.org a key to boosting tourism in Las Vegas depends on how safe travelers feel.
“It is hard to imagine a world in which we don’t see more restrictive operating environments for US retail casinos across the next two quarters,” adds Chris Grove, a financial analyst with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, during a recent interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The only questions are how restrictive measures will be, and what specific form those measures will take.”
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Last Comments ( 81 )
We assume the Governor is a stellar example of wearing a mask and following his own COVID related guidelines. It is said that masks protect others more than they protect the wearer. That said, we should assume that those in the Governor presence diligently follow his guidelines. Never the less, he tested positive. Can we finally reconsider the economic consequences of these policies? Sweden has fewer deaths per 100,000 persons with zero COVID controls. It is expected that their numbers will continue to comparatively improve while we continue to prolong the inevitable. COVID is in the human species and will inevitably run its course. In spite of flu vaccine, we continue to year after year to experience significant exposure, COVID will be no different.
Who says Casinos are the culprit? I thought contact tracing was to help with us determine root causes. That program has been a big failure. Responsubkw businesses are getting lumped into the deluquent.. so sad
sisolak is creating the new depression
The casinos should be shut down managment dosent give a crap about the health of thier employees. So many employees have caught covid and all managment cares about is how much money they make.
IMHO the Governor is prolonging the effects of the virus by advocating these ridiculous lock-downs and mask advocacy which do absolutely nothing to prevent catching a virus,as has been shown by his Excellency managing to contract it. Fear-mongering at its finest.
If all that restrictions and everything is supposed to work and hes gone by the rules then how come he got the covert 19 that just tells me that our governor of Nevada and the governor of New York push the rules on people but don't abide by their own rules
If all this stuff that he's putting on the state of Nevada it supposed to work then why did he get the covid-19 ask him that the only thing that means is him and that New York governor are not paying attention to the
No other state relies on gaming and room taxes more than Nevada. Shuttering casinos would be financial suicide. Don't expect the Feds to rain trillions on the state's anytime soon.
Before closing casinos.... Have casinos provide free N95 masks which actually work! You must use casino free masks only!!! All other masks including “fashion” types DONT WORK! Surgical masks only stop water droplets. N95 stops the virus! Spread out restaurant inside tables more! Don’t close, or Las Vegas will die!! Don’t close! Don’t close ! Don’t close !
Another Casino closure will impose total disaster on the workers and dependents in Las Vegas and all if Nevada. Let the Governor beware - a second shutdown will NOT be accepted by the people.....
How much of it's fake and control?
He will go down as the man that killed to goose that lay the Golden egg. Vegas won't survive this, it won't come back for a decade meanwhile the city's infrastructure will be transformed by the loss in taxes.
I play bingo at Sunset Station everyday. Everyone has a mask on and the mask rule is strictly enforced as well as social distancing. The Casinos are cooperating and I have yet to see evidence the the virus spike is coming from the casinos. So leave them alone! Businesses in Nevada has suffered enough. There is also no evidence that the spread is attributed to bars and restaurants.
If the sisolak closes the casino again he would be doing all of us in housekeeping a huge favor i work at one of thetop hotels on the strip and i tell you they are not telling the truth on how many employees and guest that have covid but they dont wanna shut bck down because they still trying to recover from the months they lost money which goes to show they dont give a dam about our lives and family only about making the dollar sad but true
I wonder how much lobbying money is flowing in Nevada trying to keep businesses open. Would be a good investigative effort and report.