Las Vegas casinos not closing, but the spreading of coronavirus severely impacting the resident integrated resort industry.
The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the U.S. has forced governors and gaming regulators in more than a half-dozen states to either order casinos to close temporarily or to place limitations on crowd size in places where it is, to this point, financially prohibitive to not remain open.
So far, Nevada has not issued that same edict.
But the nation’s largest casino state – which posted approximately $12 billion in gaming revenues in 2019 – can’t compare with other jurisdictions. In Nevada, taxes from gaming revenues and other tourism-related sources are the primary funding mechanisms for the state’s budget.
Last week, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency and hinted he may consider banning mass gatherings, as other governors have done. Similar restrictions have forced casinos in Ohio and Pennsylvania to temporarily cease operations.
There haven’t yet been any serious discussions of Las Vegas casinos doing the same.
MGM Resorts International said that last week a guest from New York who was staying at The Mirage and attending the Women of Power Summit tested positive for coronavirus.
In an email, MGM spokesman Brian Ahern said there were “no plans on suspending/closing operations in Vegas.”
As of the end of the week, Nevada had 21 reported cases of coronavirus, 16 in Southern Nevada’s Clark County, where Las Vegas is located.
Last week, Nevada gaming regulators told casino operators and other license holders there is an “expectation” they comply with legislative mandates to protect the public health in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
