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Three Las Vegas Casinos Start Operating at 100% Capacity
By Jeff Osienya May 05, 2021 IndustryThree Sin City casino properties: Wynn, Encore, and The Cosmopolitan, have been permitted to resume operations at full capacity. The Nevada Gaming Control Board allowed them to get back to 100% floor occupancy after vaccinating over 80% of their staffers.Sin City continues to make more significant steps towards post-pandemic normalcy after three casinos in the Strip received the green light to take patrons at 100% capacity. The casinos had to have at least 80% of their employees receive the first vaccination dose before getting the go-ahead from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). When that vaccination condition is satisfied by all other Sin City casino operators, plexiglass dividers between seats on slot machines and table games will no longer be part and parcel of the Vegas experience.
Wynn Resorts led other gaming operators in satisfying the NGCB requirements after 88% of its workforce had been vaccinated by May 1st. Shortly afterward, the company was granted the honors of becoming the first Sin City casino operator to resume full-capacity operations at its casinos in more than one year. On Monday, May 3rd, its two properties on the Las Vegas Strip: Wynn and Encore, started taking in patrons without occupancy limits. Upon receiving approval from the NGCB, Wynn released an official statement on Monday saying:
Quote"Wynn Las Vegas has been granted permission by the Nevada Gaming Control Board to amend its occupancy and physical distancing requirements. Effective today, the gaming areas at both Wynn and Encore will be permitted to run at 100% occupancy, and plexiglass dividers will be removed from all table games and slot machines. Our employees and guests will continue to follow health and safety guidelines, including mask compliance, to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all."
Cosmopolitan's Workforce Joins the 80% Vaccination Club
The Cosmopolitan, a renowned Las Vegas gaming house, went ahead and followed Wynn's footsteps to have most of its employees get at least the first dose of the vaccine. By Tuesday, May 4th, it had also met the 80% vaccination threshold required by the NGCB. After receiving 100% occupancy approval from the Silver State's gaming board, William McBeath, Cosmopolitan president, and CEO expressed his delight in a briefing as follows:
Quote"We believe the only clear path to normalcy and bringing our entire workforce back is through vaccinations. It's pertinent to not only The Cosmopolitan, but to our entire industry in ensuring travel can safely return to the destination. I could not be more proud of our team for doing their part to protect our city."
It's rather interesting to note that Cosmopolitan ramped up its vaccination drive for over 4,000 of its Sin City personnel by recently offering over $1 million worth of employee bonuses to those who went for the first shot. As a result, reports show an exponential surge in the share of Cosmopolitan employees who have gone for the first vaccination dose over the past two weeks.
USA's Gambling Mecca is Steadily Picking up the Pieces
Casinos in the larger Silver State have been operating at limited capacity since last year, but Gov. Steve Sisolak has been gradually adjusting the restrictions depending on the situation. For example, halfway through February, the governor boosted floor capacity limits from 25% to 35% and later okayed another 15% increase to the occupancy rates to 50% in mid-March.
Meanwhile, the NGCB pushed for increased floor occupancy for casino properties based on how many employees are vaccinated. The board aimed to encourage hospitality industry workers to get vaccinated so that normalcy would return faster. Come May 1st, casino floor restrictions in Clark County were eased to accept patrons at 80% capacity, and social distancing requirements were reduced by half from 6 feet to three feet. The same was also permitted for most Clark County businesses that had initially been restricted to operate at 50% capacity.
However, masks are still a requirement for indoors and for individuals in large crowds in outdoor spaces. County officials have further indicated that social distancing rules will be relaxed completely when 60% of the vaccine-eligible population receives at least the first shot of the three vaccine doses.
With the first three casinos now operating at full capacity, well ahead of the June 1st expected date, the light at the end of the tunnel for Nevada's gaming industry is shining brighter than ever. Mind you, in March, casinos across the Silver State reported a combined revenue of $1 billion-plus for the very first time since the onset of the Coronavirus.
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