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Q: What's it like to be in a Las Vegas casino during COVID? A: Bizarre... and likely dangerous.
A few of the major resorts on The Strip reopened two weeks ago, along with most of downtown.
Properties, executives, and staff have good intentions—but the visitors mostly do not.
A few of the major resorts on The Strip reopened two weeks ago, along with most of downtown.
Properties, executives, and staff have good intentions—but the visitors mostly do not.
I have visited five properties for business recently (my company provides background music for hotels, casinos, restaurants, lounges).
Staff are all wearing masks—trying their damndest to do the right thing—but only 25% of customers are covering their faces, sometimes just 10%.
Staff are all wearing masks—trying their damndest to do the right thing—but only 25% of customers are covering their faces, sometimes just 10%.
The experience has been awkward—observing the spirit of professionalism (the staff) combined with an underlying sense of doom (the customers).
Casinos are places for fun, food, drink, music and a feeling of freedom. None of these things are compatible with masks or distancing.
Casinos are places for fun, food, drink, music and a feeling of freedom. None of these things are compatible with masks or distancing.
The much-heralded "protocols, procedures and operational enhancements" amount to essentially a theater performance put on by the staff.
How can they be effective without full participation by all the guests?
Call it: Hygiene Theater
How can they be effective without full participation by all the guests?
Call it: Hygiene Theater
The properties have added a sanitizing stand here, a mask dispenser there. Temperature taking at door happens in some spots, but enforcement is sporadic and uneven.
The guests are mostly just watching, not participating.
The guests are mostly just watching, not participating.
It’s almost like the mask has become part of the staff uniform, that’s how it’s being viewed by the public.
While wearing a mask in casinos—which I always do—I get a ton of guest questions about directions, etc. They think I work there because I have a mask on!
While wearing a mask in casinos—which I always do—I get a ton of guest questions about directions, etc. They think I work there because I have a mask on!
COVID cases in Nevada are at an all time high.
In response, regulators have updated rules to require players to wear masks at gaming tables where there are no plexiglass partitions.
But the regulators stopped short of mandating masks for all visitors. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/18/casino-regulators-tighten-mask-rules-as-coronavirus-cases-spike-in-las-vegas.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain
In response, regulators have updated rules to require players to wear masks at gaming tables where there are no plexiglass partitions.
But the regulators stopped short of mandating masks for all visitors. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/18/casino-regulators-tighten-mask-rules-as-coronavirus-cases-spike-in-las-vegas.html?__source=twitter%7Cmain
In Macau (the Vegas of Asia, but much bigger), they have taken extreme steps to curtail the virus, including banning all foreign visitors. Of course business there has suffered in a major way, and continues to struggle. https://twitter.com/RivalSchoolX/status/1273894446677938177?s=20
Indeed Las Vegas has been crushed economically by the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of layoffs, key businesses weakened more than we even know at this point.
But we avoided a serious COVID outbreak by shutting the casinos—and the city—early on. Credit to @GovSisolak.
But we avoided a serious COVID outbreak by shutting the casinos—and the city—early on. Credit to @GovSisolak.
Customers visit a casino to have fun, there's nothing wrong with that. But we're learning: to expect voluntary compliance with new hygiene standards from the public is foolish. Most visitors don't want to wear masks—for whatever reason. Call them defiant, call them foolish.
The problem, of course, starts at the top—not in Nevada, but the lack of leadership at the top of the U.S.
By doing nothing, making no difficult decisions, leaving reopening up to the states, Trump and co have allowed this uneven and dangerous situation to unfold.
By doing nothing, making no difficult decisions, leaving reopening up to the states, Trump and co have allowed this uneven and dangerous situation to unfold.
I have every reason to want the casinos to reopen, my business directly benefits. Like many other businesses, we were crushed down to $0 revenue over the past months.
But no amount of $ is worth risking lives. In fact, reopening too soon may be the worst thing for business too.
But no amount of $ is worth risking lives. In fact, reopening too soon may be the worst thing for business too.
I know I'm not the only one thinking these things. I'm sure some in positions of power agree.
But the way things stand now—they may as well open nightclubs too, because there is little difference between what is happening on casino floors and what happens in a crowded venue.
But the way things stand now—they may as well open nightclubs too, because there is little difference between what is happening on casino floors and what happens in a crowded venue.
Once caveat: based on my observations, Wynn/Encore is the exception to the negative trend in public participation.
I saw maybe 75% of customers wearing masks there, and the environment felt safer.
Still: all those masks made it bizarre as hell to be in a casino right now.
I saw maybe 75% of customers wearing masks there, and the environment felt safer.
Still: all those masks made it bizarre as hell to be in a casino right now.
Nevada reported the worst unemployment numbers in the U.S.—25.3% in May, down from 30% in April.
We're in a VERY difficult spot. We need the resorts open to keep our economy alive. But we risk causing even more damage—to people and to the economy—with a large COVID outbreak.
We're in a VERY difficult spot. We need the resorts open to keep our economy alive. But we risk causing even more damage—to people and to the economy—with a large COVID outbreak.
Update: my buddy just went to Bellagio and says mask usage is up, approx 60% of guests in masks now. Maybe people can adapt after all?
Hey man nobody wants to wear that shit, but we gotta deal with it for now.
Hey man nobody wants to wear that shit, but we gotta deal with it for now.
