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Sin City Casinos Prepare After Gov. Sisolak Agrees to a 4th June Reopening Date
By Jeff Osienya May 27, 2020 IndustryTwo months after Coronavirus shutdowns in Nevada, the governor announced an early June reopening for casinos and resorts. The administration is however on high alert in case COVID-19 cases go back up.It’s official, dozens of casino resorts in the famed Sin City will spring back to life after Governor Steve Sisolak okayed a 4th June reopening date. Sisolak greenlit the reopening date via a telephone news conference from Carson City’s governor’s mansion where he is currently under quarantine after a potential Coronavirus exposure.
Gov. Sisolak’s approval comes more than 2 months after he issued a sweeping statewide order to close all non-essential businesses in a bid to curb the spread of the raging pandemic. In his press statement, he reassured the state residents of the safety and sanitization measures put in place by his administration, saying;
“We’ve taken every precaution possible. I don’t think you’re going to find a safer place to come than Las Vegas”
The governor came to this decision after an entire day of talks with health experts, resort operators, and the state gaming regulator, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). Only after board members guaranteed that the necessary safety measured could be implemented by 4th June did the governor agree to the reopening.
Vegas Strip Operators Shift to High Gear in Reopening Preparations
Currently, a couple of cities across the United States such as Arizona are already grappling with the process of getting back to business. Now that Nevada is showing up late to the party, the stakes are pretty high more so because about a third of the local economic revenue comes from the leisure and hospitality industry.
Over a third of Sin City resorts had already started working to ready themselves for the reopening weeks ago, when the Nevada Gaming Control Board had announced safety measures like 50% occupancy limits, pending the reopening announcement.
On Tuesday, Richard Broome, the Caesars Entertainment spokesman confirmed that the Caesars Palace and Flaming’s would be their first Vegas Strip properties to resume operations with table games, slot machines, outdoor pools, dining, and lodging. The company had made early preparations as the management awaited the government’s approval.
Las Vegas Sands properties including The Venetian and Palazzo also released a statement through the company’s Senior Vice President, Ron Reese. Ahead of the governor’s announcement, Reese pointed out that his team had also been making preparations for getting back to business, should the governor and the NGCB allow the reopening.
Other Sin City properties like Treasure Island, the Strat, Sahara, and the Cosmopolitan also stated that they will be accepting reservations starting 4th June. However, the majority of hotel-casinos will be waiving self-parking charges and suspending valet parking until further notice.
As momentous as this reopening milestone is, Gov. Sisolak however indicated that should there be a spike in coronavirus cases in the 4th June run-up, his administration is ready to pull back from the scheduled reopening.
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