Some good news for Vegas

In the latest easing of coronavirus measures in Las Vegas, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will allow casinos to increase capacity limits to 80% starting May 1.

The state gaming regulator announced new guidelines for Nevada’s 16 counties and one independent city on Friday. It took to Twitter to publicize its three-page “Emergency Directive 044,” setting out new capacity restriction plans across the state:

Under that directive, Clark County casinos will move from 50% to 80% capacity from the beginning of next month. The NGCB will also permit casinos to relax social distancing measures, reducing the mandatory distance between customers to three feet instead of six. Mask requirements will remain in place.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Las Vegas casinos have endured restrictions since the end of a 78-day period of COVID-19 forced closures in June of last year. They last increased occupancy on March 15, easing limits to 50%. Now, operators finally have a path back to full capacity, but this is reliant on vaccination efforts across Clark County.

full capacity once at least 60% of county residents have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine

According to the NGCB’s plan, approved by county commissioners on Tuesday, casinos in Las Vegas can return to full capacity once at least 60% of county residents have received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. The regulator will also remove all social distancing measures at that point.

On Friday, Clark County Commission chairwoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick announced that 47% of residents had received their vaccinations. She estimated that this level would reach 50% by the end of the following week.

This aligns with the roadmap of Governor Steve Sisolak, who last month told reporters he expects all of Nevada’s counties to open at 100% capacity by June 1. The governor is ceding control over restrictions to local county governments in May, but the NGCB will still maintain autonomy over casinos.

Preparations well underway

Now provided with a solid roadmap out of restrictions, casinos have begun preparing for a return to normal levels of business under the bright lights of Las Vegas.

The NGCB has made clear that employee vaccinations are absolutely vital for Nevada’s casinos to return to full capacity. In a memo last month, the Board told operators it would only increase floor occupancy when “licensees have taken measurable and material steps to vaccinate.”

an offer of cash bonuses for vaccinations at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

As a result, multiple Las Vegas-based operators have opened their own employee vaccination programs, including MGM Resorts International, Station Casinos, and Las Vegas Sands. Operators have used various approaches to convince workers to take their shots, even including an offer of cash bonuses for vaccinations at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

In preparation for the return of customers, operators have also initiated a new hiring drive with various job fairs held across the region. As reported by the Las Vegas Review- Journal, MGM Resorts hired “100 people on the spot” at one of its events last month, while Circus Circus Hotel, Ellis Island Hotel, and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are all actively recruiting.

Speaking last month, Randy Goldberg, vice president of talent acquisition strategy for MGM, said the new recruitment drive should help “ease staffing shortages.” He explained that customer traffic had returned to Vegas faster than most had anticipated, saying: “I don’t think anyone expected the ramp-up to happen this quickly.”