Closure of a Las Vegas casino.
To help curb the spread of Covid-19, the governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, has instructed all casinos in the state to temporarily shut down for at least 30 days. This primarily impacts the Las Vegas gambling scene, but other states are also experiencing closures. The American Gaming Association (AGA) has requested financial help from the government with this decision.
"Assertive action"
Due to the coronavirus, all gambling operations in Nevada will stop until at least March 17. This impacts 334 registered casinos, 104 of which are situated in Las Vegas. Additionally, other leisure facilities such as restaurants, bars, cinemas, malls, and fitness centers will have to close. "My main goal, alongside Nevada, is to save lives," said governor Steve Sisolak, describing his drastic move.
As he continued to elaborate, "vigorous efforts" are required to control the spread of the respiratory pathogen. Medical experts confirm that there's currently no viable treatment, making it even more crucial for "people to safeguard themselves, their families, and their communities." There's "no time to waste" and we need to "act promptly" until a vaccine is discovered.
"Unusual dimension"
The closure is now being executed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), along with the police. The New York Times reports that this is taking place on "unprecedented scales". Security forces are said to have entered casinos on both sides of the Strip from midnight (March 18), monitoring the casino shutdown.
The gaming chips from thousands of tables were collected. The monitors of over 163,000 slot machines turned off. Waitresses removed hundreds of bottles of wine and spirits from shelves. Dealers cleared blackjack tables and high rollers started packing. Entertainers and musicians were told to leave. Cleaners started spraying disinfectant and wiping down door handles. Quickly, the "sin city" came to a halt.
"I've never seen a casino close in my 35 years of working on the Strip," a Treasure Island Casino worker shared his thoughts on the strange situation. Another worker remarked that the casinos in Las Vegas had last closed after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 - "and that was for just a day."
Various dealers and managers corroborated: this has never happened before. There was no shutdown during the 2008 economic crisis, post-9/11, or even after the 2017 massacre, in which 58 people were shot dead in an MGM hotel in Las Vegas. The long-term consequences of Covid-19 remain uncertain.
Economic collision
The closure in Nevada represents a major blow to the US gambling industry. Like Macau, where the coronavirus prompted a shutdown, Las Vegas is heavily dependent on the casino industry. In January, revenue from land-based gaming totaled USD 1.04 billion, an annual increase of 5.5%.
As the tourism industry collapsed due to the pandemic, the Las Vegas Strip is expected to suffer losses of over USD 6.6 billion. Hundreds of employees are affected, with casino resorts accounting for 16.8% of total employment in the region and 18.7% of all private employment in 2018.
Furthermore, as the glittering metropolis with a population of 2.2 million is often seen as the epitome of the American dream, this massive closure could potentially leave scars on US citizens. As of now, the US reported more than 6,400 infections. President Donald Trump, under fire for his initial hesitation, declared a national state of emergency and declared we're facing "war-like conditions."
AGA calls for financial aid
The pandemic hasn't just impacted Nevada; it's also resulted in shutdowns in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Massachusetts. In Nevada, some operators had already announced voluntary closures before the official order, like MGM and Wynn Resorts.
Furthermore, individual cities have implemented their own measures, for instance, the Californian city of Los Angeles, where the Commerce Casino and the Bicycle Casino, among others, must close for at least two weeks. Similar actions have been taken in New York City and San Francisco. As a result of these shutdowns, the American Gaming Association (AGA) is asking for financial assistance from the government.
The AGA's CEO, Bill Miller, spoke with Congress, stating: "In a matter of days, the booming US casino industry has been brought to the verge of a standstill. We're witnessing an increasing number of casino closures. This will have an utterly devastating effect on the communities where we operate in 43 states. We need policies that will keep our workforce afloat."
Miller expressed that the AGA plans to collaborate with authorities during the crisis along with after casinos reopen to assist employees in the entire sector. Gambling is a "durable industry" and all essential steps to control the pandemic will be carried out properly. Coming events are yet to be revealed.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
