New Orleans’ loss of casino patrons and their spending could be Mississippi’s gain.
That’s the blunt assessment of Ronnie Johns, the former state senator and the new chairman of Louisiana Gaming Control Board in response to a directive by New Orleans that goes into effect Monday. It requires either one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or a negative test within 72 hours to participate in indoor activities – not only for restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues, and sporting events but casinos as well.
Harrah’s New Orleans Hotel & Casino and Fair Ground Race Course & Slots are both located within New Orleans and are subject to those new requirements – the first casinos in the nation to fall under a vaccine-related mandate. The casinos will operate without capacity restrictions but fall under the state’s indoor mask mandate for employees and customers.
“We’re just trying to get a handle on how the gaming industry is going to be able to work through this with their employees and patrons alike,” Johns said. “Our concern is the proximity of New Orleans to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Those customers who do not want to go through that protocol will have the option to drive over to the Mississippi market that does not have these mandates at this time. We have no doubt that this will have a negative impact on the gaming industry.”
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced the mandate Thursday in a bid to slow the surge of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in Louisiana.
Caesars Entertainment, the owner of Harrah’s New Orleans, hasn’t released a statement on the new directive and didn’t return phone calls to CDC Gaming Reports.
Ronnie Johns, without giving names in his confidential conversations, said there’s “been some concerns” on the part of gaming establishments impacted by the new mandate.
“There’s no doubt that one of the problems is that the order just came out [Thursday] and goes into effect Monday. So they are scrambling to get their protocols in place,” Johns said. “It’s not just something you flip a switch on and make happen. You have to have the right personnel, the right supplies, and the right testing facilities. It’s a lot of logistics to implement this. They know they have to comply, and they’re going to comply. I know the industry wants to work with the mayor and to be compliant and safe.”
Johns didn’t want to comment on whether the new mandate is the “right” move. While he’s concerned about the implication on the gaming business, Johns said, however, that Louisiana has a “crisis on its hands” with the highest COVID-19 cases per capita in the nation. It causes problems that hospital capacities across the state are full when they also have to deal with heart attacks, strokes, cancer treatments, and other serious illnesses, he said.
Johns said the gaming board has been encouraging and recommending vaccinations for both casino employees and patrons alike.
“Our numbers are just going through the roof right now,” Johns said. “Since [Thursday] they reported 7,600 new cases of COVID and an additional 56 to 57 deaths. We have close to 3,000 patients hospitalized right now with COVID — the highest number in the state of Louisiana since the inception (of the pandemic 18 months ago). We’re going in the wrong direction. I know the mayor is trying to protect the city and people’s well-being and their health.”
The Gaming Control Board serves as the regulatory body for the state’s riverboat licenses, the land-based casino in New Orleans, four racetracks, video poker, and now sports betting. It has no legal authority over what New Orleans does with its new mandate since it applies to all businesses, Johns said.
“We had no idea it was coming. We learned about it Thursday through the media,” Johns said Friday afternoon. “The board was not notified of the executive order of the mayor of New Orleans. We’re trying to get more information right now on what their mandate is and what the implications of this are going to be on the industry. Hopefully, by Monday we will have a better understanding of how it will affect other properties and whether they will follow suit. I am looking forward to trying to work with the city on this in the coming days.”
The nearby casinos outside the city limits are the Treasure Chest Casino Kenner and Boomtown New Orleans. Both are smaller casinos and aren’t destination resorts like Harrah’s New Orleans, he said.
Johns assessed that the vaccine mandate will not only affect casinos but other non-gaming businesses as well.
“New Orleans is a hospitality city for restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, hotels, and a huge convention city. The implications of this for the entire business community are going to be significant.”
