The Colorado Belle, an iconic hotel-casino on the Colorado River in Laughlin, will close its doors, throwing 400 employees out of work.

Casino operator Golden Entertainment Inc. said closures to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in March and uncertainty about the return of the market led to the decision.

Golden publicly acknowledged the planned closure Monday.

In a letter dated Thursday from an executive with Golden Entertainment, employees were told the 1,168-room hotel would not reopen when Gov. Steve Sisolak and gaming regulators authorize it and that their health care benefits would end May 31.