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 )
CLOSE THE CASINOS NOW, IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VIRUS, IT'S THE ONLY CHANCE WE HAVE, ALSO CLOSE DOWN ALL NAIL SALONS, HAIR SALONS, GYMS, INDOOR DINING AND ALL SCHOOLS INCLUDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS ETC, IF WE KEEP GOING ON AS WE ARE WE WILL LOSE EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY OUR LIVES, NOTHING WILL MATTER IF WE ARE ALL DEAD.
Shutting casinos down AGAIN??? We still haven’t gotten my husband’s unemployment from the first round!!!! We cannot survive another shut down you JERK! And we are doing everything right! Plus my house went from 2 to 4 as I am now a CD primary caretaker for my elderly mom and my son came home! We mask up every single time we have to go out, I have sanitizer wipes and hand sanitizer. We social distance. What I will say is that it’s not us! I have had words with people who don’t respect our social distance and masks! A few bad apples ruin it for all. #maskitorcasket
Time to ban smoking inside.. someone wants to smoke .. outside only.
Casinos are not essential. They are slaming people in like sardines. We are not welcome in our own state, yet tourists are?
Why is the NFL allowed to have games every week? At each game, there are a few hundred people on the field. Plus, after each game, half of those people fly to different parts of the country. If the NFL can keep playing, the casinos should be able to stay open. It’s hard to accept that I cannot have more than 10 people in my house when they allow the NFL have the amount of activity that they do.
The last time I went to Reno, which was in September, employees were scared to death about Covid. Guests should have stayed home! People had masks down over their necks to smoke and blew the cigarette smoke straight at me. I saw nobody cleaning machines after use. Restaurants showed people talking in restaurants who were not eating. It is all out omicron control and you have one man with Covid making the decisions. We All know it is all about money! How sad.
How about next time the governor closes the state he donates his paycheck to those it affects.
Don't distroy nebvada
He could at least forbid smoking and drinking during play in casinos. You cant wear a mask and smoke or drink. Plus your blowing smoke everywhere from your lungs???? How is th at helping
Please for the safety of everyone, close everything down or put those you serve in danger with this pandemic.
We all know what the right thing to do is. People please remember this is a pandemic that is getting dangerous but not out of control. Delay and it can get out of control and be worse. Imagine the below statement: Don't believe the statement: "What happens to Vegas, stays in Vegas" Go to Vegas and " come.home with the coronavegas disease" What is worse? Let's all do the right thing for out future.
If you are worried about vivid, stay home. Leave the rest of us to make our own decisions. Let's get to the real world. You can't make everyone happy or safe. Next you'll tell us we can't get out of bed. People die getting up.shoewring ,eating, that is one thing that is for sure in your lifetime.
Why dont they close the casinos That dont follow the rules Why do they all have be closed They should inspect all of them THE Grand Sierra Is a disgrace While the other are following the regulations
That bastard better not shut us down, the stiff prick. You can't hide from a virus, WTF !! You idiots elected this cheese head, this wrecking ball, he's such an asshole, an incompetent.
Do what Harrah's in New Orleans did. Open courtyards outside with machines, bars and table games, tvs. They offer heaters for the winter and the smokers get to play outdoors. It's more fun.I wish they would make them for non smokers, too