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The stakes are higher than ever. Gamblers flocked to casinos in Las Vegas Thursday as the city reopened for the first time since the Strip went dark amid the coronavirus crisis in March. “It’s just been months of us trying to get here,” Bobbi Carlisle of Phoenix, told USA Today. “Now we’re here, and we’re …
The stakes are higher than ever.
Gamblers flocked to casinos in Las Vegas Thursday as the city reopened for the first time since the Strip went dark amid the coronavirus crisis in March.
“It’s just been months of us trying to get here,” Bobbi Carlisle of Phoenix, told USA Today. “Now we’re here, and we’re so excited. We’re hoping to get a keno machine, and we’ll play there for days.”
Hotel-casinos in suburban Sin City were first to open just after midnight with new safety measures, including masked card dealers and customers saddling up to freshly sanitized slot machines.
Casinos in downtown Vegas followed suit Thursday morning, including the famed Bellagio and several other resorts on the Strip.
Casino owners are betting that coronavirus-friendly measures — including disinfected dice, limiting table capacities and temperature checks at some entrances — will lure tourists back to the lively gambling hub.
“The past few months have presented our city with an unprecedented challenge,” said Derek Stevens, who owns two Las Vegas casinos that were shuttered in March. “We are excited to get our employees back to work and to welcome guests to the entertainment capital of the world.”
But even as the entire state of Nevada reopened, some casinos, including Wynn Resorts, pushed back plans to get back up and running amid protests over the death of George Floyd.
Some of the largest casino operators, including MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, also said they won’t immediately open.
But others called it vital for the state’s tourism-based economy to reopen casinos.
“There’s a tremendous amount on the line, not only for casinos, but for the community and the state,” said Alan Feldman, a longtime casino executive who is now a fellow at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “This is an extremely important moment.”
Casinos were shuttered March 17 after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s emergency order closed nonessential businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Health officials required detailed safety plans from resort owners to be submitted by last week before giving casinos the go-ahead to reopen.
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