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 )
They should stop allowing smoking in the casinos. The infected droplets spread further than 6' in a cloud of smoke. Ban all cigarettes, vapes and cigars. They have no business indoors during a pandemic. Most people don't wear their masks while smoking and drinking. You're supposed to put your mask over your mouth and nose between drinks.. But the smoking is spreading it further.
Just to be clear.....the Casinos shut down when the Conventions started bailing, days before Sisolak did his first stay at home order. MGM runs him so it'll be up to them if they want to close again. It seems logical for them to close after Thanksgiving till about Christmas regardless.
This as DETR is trying to steal back money from Gig workers...
I work at one of the Boyd Gaming Casinos'. I do consider myself lucky to have a job. Although I am not doing what I was originally hired to do, I now welcome customers in to the Casino, do temperature checks and try to get customers to keep their masks up and to socially distance. It sounds like a piece of cake, but it's not. Day in, day out, I am feeling more and more like a babysitter. I try not to let customers get to me, but it's getting to be harder and harder. I have to wear my mask the minute I step into the building until the time I get off work and step out. I feel like there are too many people who do not care about the safety of those around them, and for that matter, their own safety. I grow more frustrated with each passing day of the 'no care' attitude that the customers bring to the Casino. I feel I am putting my safety, and my family's safety at risk. I know our economy is hurting, especially after the shut down in March, but if the workers get sick, and God forbid, die(some of my co-workers have), who is going to be around to keep our Casinos open? The safety of the people/workers should come first over keeping the Casinos open.
You need to stop smoking in casinos. This was a health hazard before covid 19. Smokers think this gives them an excuse not to wear a mask.. Take some action a and do something about this.
How are you going to close bars and restaurants, yet leave casinos open. The strip and the tourism are the problem. We should have all the states in the pact shut down for a month 2 weeks is not enough it seems that the citizens r being punished and not the tourists. No one should come in or out.
I do not believe the numbers being shown. It is just a political ploy to control the people.
This virus is serious for a minority of citizens. Let people and businesses operate with current safety standards. Let the individual make his or own decisions on their own safety. Let us be and keep government out of our lives.
Casinos are doing my awesome. I just got back from Laughlin and stay at Aquarius. Damn mask police wouldn't even let you drink you cocktail...really, whats is the point. Mask enforcement is 100% I am 3rd generation Nevadan. Ive never gambled much, but with hubby stationed in Twentynine Palms, and the wife and kid at home in Wellington, I threw down for a weekend and contributed to our daughters education What I did not see, is signs or casino floor helpers directing you to check in and elevators. I did not see air purifiers on any floor, elevator areas and checking should be a minimum, as around any restaurant entrance. I did not see signage encouraging use if hand sanitizer or washing hands. I did not have access to hot tub after verifying it was open. I did not see much in the way of security...you better work on that. Both times we went to Duet, once to dine in, second to carry out, both times, irate customer went off on staff because they were not waited on within 30 seconds. One dude I thanked for making an ass if himself and told him to leave. You would think after a 2 minute rant, a security guard would show up.
The state needs to do something. Trump's think this made up Great job trumpees
The Nevada governor is believing on fake data, shame on him, someone needs to tell the truth in this state, 99.9% of sick people are getting well. There is no need to shutdown our economy, I would hope casino management would ask for proof of these fake statistics, he wants us scared to the point we will willing take the DNA altering vaccine, he can take it , not me and tens of thousands here in nevada
If Nevada voters were 'worried' about job losses, they would have voted for President Trump. Another Welfare state is born, Battle Born.
Hi I Richard. P Hansen I Work At The Aquarius Casino hotel in Laughlin Nevada as a window washer for a long time I'm concerned about all the men's restrooms are not being clean properly like the urinals should be every other stall should be blocked off as concentrate but I was asked the supervisor about it and he says they have the petitions on the between the urinals I love the locker rooms in my place is not clean properly people with desk cough and on the lockers and the area thank you.
People need to work, to many homeless people on the streets, you should be helping the with housing, times are so hard.
PLEASE, please do not close salons!! The salon that I go to have followed all the mandates!! Do not close synagogues or churches. That is all we have to lift us up!! Do not close the restaurants !! The ones we go to have been absolutely very safe!! We both wear our masks everywhere we go to be inside any establishment. This is so very depressing!!! Keeping us in a lockdown is not the answer. Do not punish families that have done everything humanly possible to stay safe!!