- Las Vegas casino start to reopen after COVID-19 hiatus
- Casino fans rushing in Las Vegas venues, ignoring social distancing measures
- New Jersey approves another web-based casino
Casino industry news last week was dominated by Sin City coming back to life. On June 4, Las Vegas casinos reopened after nearly three months.
Gamblers from Nevada rushed in the casinos, causing all sorts of reactions on social media. A big majority of posts with the hashtag #ReopenVegas were celebratory, although some were calling for caution.
In other news, New Jersey is about to get another internet casino. The gaming industry giant Playtech, a company famous for developing some of the best online slots, was given permission to start its own operation aimed at New Jersey-based users.
Las Vegas Comes Back from the Dead
March 17, 2020, will remain one of the most important dates in the history of Nevada. That was the day when Governor Steve Sisolak signed a decree suspending all non-essential businesses in the state, including every single of nearly 140 casinos in Las Vegas. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, all casinos in Sin City had to remain closed to the public for more than two months.
Las Vegas casinos weren’t the only businesses affected by this decision. Restaurants, bars, boutiques, and many other businesses had to shut down. Strip clubs too. Although, there was one that tried to stay open as long as possible.
Las Vegas strip club Little Darlings tried to stay in business by ensuring the strippers were “coronavirus free” before finally giving up and closing down.
https://twitter.com/VGKnightinArmor/status/1251867366511632384
The bad days are finally over, not just for strip clubs and casinos, but for literally everyone in Nevada. This is the state that’s more reliant on tourism than any other state in the Union. With no tourists around during the COVID-19 lockdown, Nevada suffered financial damage measured in billions of dollars.
Las Vegas casinos are now back in business, but there are worries that the pandemic could return with a vengeance if gamblers don’t take social distancing measures seriously.
Las Vegas Casinos Having Social Distancing Troubles
To be allowed to reopen, Las Vegas casinos need to get approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. To get it, they need to ensure proper hygiene is maintained at all times.
Las Vegas casinos also need to do all in their power to maintain social distancing between players. However, this requirement seems not to be that easy to fulfill.
The casino gambling drought has made people crave for proper casino fun, so a big number of them have been swarming to the casinos along the Strip.
As per the series of tweets posted by Mick Akers of Las Vegas Review-Journal, casinos in Nevada have not been very successful with implementing the social distancing protocols.
People did not waste any time at The D. Gaming floor is packed. #vegas #dtlv #reopenvegas pic.twitter.com/8GnHzGs1hM
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) June 4, 2020
Just about every seat at the Long Bar at The D is occupied. #vegas #dtlv #reopenvegas pic.twitter.com/EaxdnKfOjI
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) June 4, 2020
Slot machines at The D are being disinfected regularly when not in play. #vegas #dtlv #reopenvegas pic.twitter.com/WPKKMra0XN
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) June 4, 2020
Despite the obvious struggles with socials distancing measures, casinos seem to be doing a good job maintaining hygiene, as evident from the last tweet.
New Jersey Approves Another Online Casino
New Jersey is one of only three states where online casinos are legal and regulated. It’s perfectly legal for NJ gamblers to play all sorts of casino games on web-based platforms, but only if those sites carry a legit license.
In order to be labelled legit, an online casino needs to carry an operating license issued by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. At the moment of writing, there are just a bit over 20 gaming sites with an NJ license.
Only a handful of those belongs to the category of online casinos. However, their number is going to increase soon, as another internet casino is going to launch this year.
An online gaming company called Playtech was given the nod from the state to start working on its online casino. You might have already crossed paths with this company, as Playtech has been dominating the slot game industry.
According to the New Jersey gambling laws, in order to launch an online casino, a gaming provider needs to partner up with a land-based casino.
For that reason, Playtech and Hard Rock Atlantic City have agreed to team up. The web version of this casino should go online in a few months’ time.
