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 )
Maybe y'all will learn stop voting these democrats in office.
Recall sisolak. Ineffective. No mask, no virus. Let it run it's course! There is still no cure for the common cold! Use common sense sisolak.
If casinos and other small businesses close Las Vegas will be a ghost town. They're all struggling as it is and another lock down will have extremely catastrophic effects...Vegas and surrounding areas will never recover...itd be the end of Las Vegas Nevada as we know it...no gaming no jobs no nothing..
The state needs to be shut back down like it was in March to try and curb this virus. It's ridiculous to keep losing lives over a virus. I do understand people need to make a living but at what cost? It's not worth my life , my family/friends or yours.
You can lie about the # all you want.. a terminal cancer patient dies of cancer. But because they are tested for a broad spectrum of virus's he's counted as a Covid death. Right now your fake #'s show 130k test positive. 2000 dead.. that not even 2%.. this is Vegas no ones would ever bet on a less then 2% line..
You all idiots.. the masks don't do anything.. open up the state and let's get back to normal. NO ONE HAS died from covid.. it's a virus like the common cold.. there will never be a cure.. my immune system if fine. Its my decision for my health. No state official is going going to en fringe on my right to choose..
Covid numbers mean nothing. Cases are meaningless. Deaths. That's the important number. Regardless of the faulty tests. Our hospitals are not overcome. This is hardley 2 weeks to flatten the curve. Hes a zealot.
ITS ALL BULLSHIT DITCH THE MASKS AND OPEN UP EVERYTHING. I NEVER WEAR A MASK! IM 64 YEARS OLD AND NOT SCARED. YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF SHEEP AND ROBOTS AND LOOK STUPID WEARING A MASK
This covid-19 is becoming ridiculous people need to live their lives and stop worrying about it just like every other thing that's come the flu the swine flu and everything it will come and it will pass but we need to get out and stop locking ourselves up people need to rebel against this because this is taking our freedoms away if you're somebody who is afraid that you're going to get sick then stay the hell home
The Governor should MANDATE mask-wearing in all of Nevada, period! Closing the casinos is economic SUICIDE for the State and small businesses that relies on tourism. Countries in Europe are closed until now but cases are still spiking. Leave everything open but mandate mask in ALL of Nevada and that includes the millions of tourists that visits our State!
Smoking in the casinos is a super spreader! Allowing customers to just pull down their mostly dirty mask and blow a cloud of droplets with their smoke is crazy! Slap on a patch or chew gum! Casino visitors shouldn't have to walk through smoky air even without covid. People rewear their masks without washing them. The ones provided by businesses should be worn once,and disposed of.
Why would Governor Sisolak put the casino industry under further duress when he himself is experiencing nothing more than “mild head congestion?” Can we not weigh the huge consequences of Nevada’s economic disaster with the fact that most people suffer about as mildly as the governor has, myself included. People with preexisting conditions, or the elderly, or others who are vulnerable should stay home. But to make everyone suffer is just ridiculous at this point, especially when a vaccine is almost available.
Old fat man sisolack is at it again. Tell him to put his restrictions up his rectum.
He got COVID-19 because he is a front line employee he had to meet with people who are Never maskers, people worried about election fraud that didn’t exist . Look in the mirror people if you are around Anyone you don’t live with they could have it . Grocery store, pharmacy, testing site Doctors office And from dumb ass people who won’t wear their mask appropriately over their mouth and nose
Ban Smoking!!!