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 )
Casinos ,Bars, Restaurants, Airports, and basically everything needs to shut down and people need to keep themselves at home. I'm just recovering from Covid. It's been hell but I lived to tell and I'm grateful to be alive. It has affected my eyes, My brain and I need oxygen . I cant sleep. I have anxiety and I have never had that before. I have to focus and write down everything so I dont forget. I cant smell and I cant taste. But dammit I survived. We have to shut everything down to get a grip on this. Stay safe and wear a mask!
Come to Reno Nevada and spend all of your money while taking your mask off to complain that you can't belly up to a bar, or take it off to eat your heart out and complain that the over worked staff isn't working as fast as your fat ass can drink and eat. You can bring all of your family and friends too, you can all help spread Covid-19, 18, and even some of the 17 strands to your hearts content! All of us over worked, super stressed, overwhelmed, and under appreciated casino workers are here to catch any disease you can bring out way! We welcome all of you selfish, greedy, and un appreciative assholes with open arms! We all totally understand that your state is closed do to so many cases of covid popping up every day, so please by all means bring on over to NEVADA, cause we are wide open and ready for you!
Closing the strip again would destroy our economy. Let people make their own choices. Stay home if you want, go out if you want, just wear a mask. This virus will not go away until we have an actual vaccine. The governor is proof that the virus is not deadly to everyone. People need to think of all of the ramifications of what is happening.
They don’t pay people enough to put their health on the line everyday and for what so they can take it home back to their loved ones, close everything down again guaranteed you, people will eventually comply and listen we all want this over with, I just want some normality again and I’m sure I’m not the only one included.
BAN SMOKING.??????
This is compete BS!! Sisolak says we need to wear a mask because wearing a mask works so if that is true and obviously Sisolak always wears a mask then how could he possibly get the virus? Masks do not help against this virus!! If you believe otherwise ur just IGNORANT
Governor Sisolak needs to allow Nevada citizens to manage their own well being. We are adult enough to vote him in (or out) and can make our own decisions as to how to stay well. It is not government's role ( nor the dishonest media) to DICTATE to the citizens. Our economy tanking has a much worse impact on all of us than this bug. Science tells us how to manage reducing chances for infection; the majority of the public respects this. The business' efforts to keep us safe have been amazing. The community gets it Sisolak. So BACK OFF.
First of all I work with the public and everyday and every hour whether at work or out grocery shopping all you see are people touching and tugging at theirs masks. Their hands by their faces and breathing on their fingers , then they are touching pens , paperwork or produce. And we wonder why numbers are up? Masks don’t work they are just spreading the virus by people touching and tugging on them. Spreading germs. Not rocket science
Good point mentioned, how did our fat Governor catch Chinese Flu with all the testing, masks and social distancing in the works? Either "He" didn't follow the rules or they don't work. So why kill the economy. Lightfoot & Pelosi can get their hair done while other menial small ppl of our country have to stay in lock down or while Gov Newsome has a fancy dinner with numerous other elitist - no mask or social distancing. Thats ok but you regular ppl peasants are sheep and too stupid to handle you own affairs in the world as thy Grand Politicians of the US do. No one ever talks about the CDC experts said it was ok to go out break quarantine if you're sick to go and vote in the masses of ppl. That was ok but now someone is considering shutdowns again? If the fat jerk does it again, hope he feels that Covid deep in his lungs choking him like he'll choke our whole economy. And to the housekeeper & other disgruntled casino worker on here bitching about safety: work in another industry. No one makes you work there.
I believe casinos could stay open if the governor made special restrictions. I see so many people walk around without masks properly worn. They are worn down under chins and believe because they want to drink and especially smoke that they don't have to wear them. Customers should go outside to smoke, they blow out there smoke and germs are spread all over, no wonder we keep having cov19 cases.
At this point, If your still saying the same thing as you were in June. “A shutdown will be bad on the economy” . Remember You are in the worst plague , the world has ever seen. Go off ya self ..
At this point, If your still saying the same thing as you were in June. “A shutdown will be bad on the economy” . Remember You are in the worst plague , the world has ever seen. Go off ya self
I wish they would ban Smoking. The smokers are not wearing a mask. They keep puffing away and blow germs right at you. I’m not saying ban forever just till we get though this.
Stop the madness. 1.5 percent death rate, that is the important figure all the power hungry Panic Pimps are avoiding. This is no worse than the flu.
Casinos are doing a great job sanitizing and handing out masks. How do I know? I'm a local and I've been to a good 15 of them since they re-opened a few months ago. I feel much safer in a Vegas casino than at Walmart, where credit card stations are never wiped down during the day and people are touching items on the shelf constantly.