Nevada’s casinos, including those on the Las Vegas Strip, will remain closed through April 30, under a directive issued Wednesday by Governor Steve Sisolak.
The original directive was set to expire on April 15 and covered all non-essential businesses, gaming, and schools. In a statement, Sisolak said the time change mirrors the latest guidance from the federal government in an effort to halt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Sisolak is expected to discuss the new directive at a news conference at 5 p.m. PT Wednesday from Carson City.
The casino shut down, which began on March 18, has sidelined more than 200,000 employees and shut down the state’s primary industry. Some 984 commercial and tribal casinos nationwide in more than 40 states are closed due to coronavirus pandemic.
Nevada is considered to be one of the hardest-hit states from the casino industry closures because 40% of the general fund budget comes from taxes on gaming and tourism. The Nevada Resort Association said recovery from the pandemic’s shutdown could take up to a year and a half with an economic impact reaching almost $39 billion.
Strip casinos produced nearly $6.59 billion in gaming revenue in 2019, more than half of Nevada’s $12 billion in gaming revenue.
Several gaming companies said they would cover wages and benefits for at least two weeks, or through the end of March. Shutdown orders from governors and state gaming regulators began March 13.
Both Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts have said they will pay employees through the duration. Boyd Gaming on Friday extended employee payments through April 10.
Penn National Gaming furloughed its 26,000-person workforce on Wednesday after paying wages and benefits through Tuesday. Billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who owns the five Golden Nugget casinos in Nevada, Louisiana and Atlantic City, and several hundred restaurants under numerous brands, furloughed 40,000 workers two weeks ago.
Sisolak asked Nevadans to “Stay Home for Nevada” since March 17 and has taken multiple steps since declaring a state of emergency on March 12. The goal is to protect Nevadans and encourage them to stay home and help flatten the curve. This directive begins at midnight Wednesday.
“Today’s ‘Stay at Home’ directive strengthens the imperative that Nevadans must not leave their homes for nonessential activities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Sisolak said in a statement. “This directive builds on previous directives around school closures, social distancing, closure of non-essential businesses, and bans on public gatherings of 10 or more people by requiring you to stay at home unless leaving is absolutely necessary.”
Sisolak said essential employees should continue their work activities, making sure to take proper precautions, like frequent handwashing, staying home if they are sick and abiding by aggressive social distancing protocols.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
