Nevada Governor Confirms June 4 Casino Reopening Date

The iconic Fountains of Bellagio will be able to soon resume their dance under the desert sky of Las Vegas after they were forced to turn off the faucet on March 17 in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak on Tuesday night gave the green light to the state’s hotel and casino resorts to reopen June 4.

The Silver State’s top official last week set a tentative June 4 reopening date, saying that he would confirm that date only if there was no surge of coronavirus cases during Memorial Day Weekend.

The much anticipated confirmation arrived last night during a telephone news conference from Gov. Sisolak’s mansion in Carson City, where he is quarantining himself after potential exposure to the dangerous virus that has gripped the world.

The Governor said last night that they “will certainly be welcoming visitors back to Nevada on June 4” and that they have taken “every precaution possible” so that there isn’t “a safer place to come than Las Vegas.”

However, Gov. Sisolak warned that he might push back the reopening if the situation changes and the number of new coronavirus cases grows significantly in the days leading up to June 4.

Gov. Sisolak allowed the reopening of casinos across the state after he consulted with resort operators, health experts, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The state’s top official sought reassurances from board members that all safety measures needed would be in place by June 4 before he moved to confirm the reopening date.

Which Strip Casinos Will Reopen June 4?

According to local media and casino operators’ websites, about a third of the hotel-casinos along the Las Vegas Strip are gearing up preparations to reopen on June 4.

Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced last week that its Caesars Palace and Flamingo properties would be the first out of the 11 Las Vegas resorts it owns to resume operations. In addition, portions of The Linq Promenade as well as the High Roller Observation Wheel will also reopen for guests on June 4.

Caesars also noted that Harrah’s Las Vegas and the casino floor at the LINQ would be the next to reopen. However, their reopening will depend heavily on customer demand.

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore are, too, expected to resume operations on June 4. In addition, Wynn Resorts has announced that its Allegro, Jardin, Lakeside, Mizumi, and SW Steakhouse restaurants will resume welcoming guests on May 29.

The Venetian, operated by Las Vegas Sands is expected to also reopen doors for guests on June 4. Ron Reese, Senior Vice President of Global Communications at Las Vegas Sands, said that they have been “working hard for reopening whenever the governor and our regulatory body say it’s OK to reopen.”

Mr. Reese also noted that the fact that they have not laid off their employees during the shutdown is an important thing that makes them ready to reopen as “it’s … easy to call people back to work when they weren’t laid off or furloughed.”

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Sahara Las Vegas, the Strat, and Treasure Island are other properties that may resume operations on June 4, according to their websites. All these resorts are taking room reservations starting June 4.

MGM Resorts International said earlier this month that the Bellagio and New York-New York could be its first properties to reopen. And yes, the fountains will be back. The company, along with other Strip resort operators, announced that they will be implementing free parking when they get the green light to resume operations.

Things will be a lot different at Nevada’s casino resorts when they welcome back their guests. Staff members will be required to wear face masks; operators have announced enhanced sanitization guidelines; plexiglass partitions have been installed across table games and slot machines on the gaming floors; and patrons will be encouraged to wear face masks across the properties and to avoid gathering in large groups, among other measures implemented by operators to protect the health of employees and guests.

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