Nevada’s casino operators have begun outlining health and safety strategies for reopening once Governor Steve Sisolak grants permission. Wynn Las Vegas led the way as the first Nevada casino operator to devise a health and safety strategy. Las Vegas Sands subsequently released the Venetian Clean plan. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is set to hold a special hearing on Thursday, where all casino operators will present their new health and safety plans.
The Gaming Control Board issued the minimum health and safety policy requirements for restarting gaming operations last week. This guideline is intended to help casino operators formulate their plans. The objective is to reduce personal contact and enhance disinfection in high-traffic areas within casinos.
Getting Started
Before they can reopen, all casinos are required to sanitize and disinfect all hard and soft surfaces as per the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For those interested, here is the CDC’s policy on Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility.
Furthermore, it is a requirement for casinos to ensure that their employees receive sufficient training on the cleaning and disinfection procedures as outlined in the CDC’s guidelines. Each employee should be knowledgeable about how to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. This means understanding the importance of social distancing, the correct times to wash hands, and the methods to avoid spreading germs within the workplace.
New Casino Floor Layouts
Nevada casinos are anticipated to operate differently upon reopening, with changes starting from the core of the gaming area. This information was made known last week during an earnings call by MGM Resorts’ acting CEO, Bill Hornbuckle. He stated that the company is presently altering the layout of its casinos in preparation for their reopening. In the coming weeks, MGM Resorts is set to publish its health and safety plan.
Casino operators will be required to follow certain rules, including limiting gaming areas to a maximum of 50% capacity. The experience of table games will change when casinos reopen, as there will be varying player limits for each table game.
- Blackjack: Table accommodates three (3) players.
- Craps: Table accommodates six (6) players
- Roulette: Table accommodates four (4) players.
- Poker: Each table accommodates four (4) players.
Carnival games like 3 Card Poker and Let It Ride, which have similar tables to blackjack, should only accommodate three players. This should be confirmed in Thursday’s hearing.
Areas for video poker and slot machines must also comply with not exceeding 50% of capacity. The Gaming Control Board suggests that casinos should only place chairs in front of alternate gaming machines to maintain appropriate social distancing. Before shutting down, some casinos were able to deactivate alternate machines to prevent players from playing side by side.
Keeping Casinos Clean
While social distancing can help mitigate the transmission of germs orally, it does not contribute to the cleanliness of a casino or the items within it. There are numerous policy suggestions to address this issue as well:
- All casino employees and guests should have access to hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Some casinos began setting up these stations before they closed.
- Plans should outline the regular cleaning and disinfection procedures for gaming machines, devices, and chairs.
- The table game pits have numerous items that require regular cleaning. The strategy should include frequent disinfection of the following equipment: table games, rails, chairs, dice, card shoes, shufflers, roulette wheels, Pai Gow tiles, pit podiums, blackjack discard holders, and toke boxes. This should be done whenever a new player or employee interacts with any of the gaming items.
- Plans should outline the regular cleaning and disinfection procedures for the race & sportsbook as well as other gaming areas such as Keno, Bingo, etc. In line with the rest of the casino floor, these areas should also be prepared with measures for social distancing and supply of hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes for both employees and guests.
- The plans should also outline the procedures for disinfecting cards and chips. Despite how often this is done, there will inevitably be instances when humans physically handle the cards and chips.
Ensuring that all areas of a casino are clean will significantly boost customer confidence and attract potential patrons. This applies to all businesses, but casinos, being large and often bustling, are a special case. Given the numerous touchpoints in these large establishments, cleanliness is paramount to make guests feel comfortable enough to return.
Non-Gaming Health And Safety Requirements
Maintaining cleanliness in the gaming area is a major concern for casinos. However, casinos in Nevada, which can be vast and include multiple venues beyond the gambling area, require operators to have a plan in place to ensure the health and safety of guests throughout the property.
Hornbuckle, in the recent earnings call, mentioned that MGM Resorts is considering new takeout options for some of its restaurants. This comes as bars and eateries are set to operate at a reduced capacity to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Likewise, measures for maintaining social distance must be put in place wherever a queue might form. This includes creating a system for waiting at hotel reception desks, players clubs, and concierge desks. All retail outlets will also follow governmental protocols.
The casino experience significantly involves entertainment. However, when casinos initially reopen, nightclubs and dayclubs will remain closed. Smaller shows are expected to resume before larger ones, with further planning for this to be conducted at a later date.
Casinos will have the opportunity to open pools for the summer season. The significant alteration is that pool seating arrangements must be adjusted to allow for proper social distancing. This doesn’t come as a surprise.
The Casino Experience Will Be Different
All are curious about when they can return to a casino to recreate past enjoyable experiences. However, things will not be exactly the same when casinos in Nevada reopen.
The fresh casino experience will resemble the ambiance of 4 am on a Wednesday rather than the frenzied pandemonium of a Saturday evening. While any time spent in a casino can be enjoyable, the experiences can vary significantly.
Going to a casino when it’s not crowded can be wonderful. You’ll always have space to dine, drink, and play games. However, the social aspect is considerably reduced. It’s the interactions between visitors that can make a casino visit more unforgettable.
The paramount concern regarding the reopening of casinos, and indeed all businesses, is the safety of their patrons. While the experience may be different, ensuring health and safety will enable guests to discover a new way to enjoy casinos once more.
