Capacity restrictions in Las Vegas casinos are coming to an end.
As of May 1, Clark County’s Game Days got the green light to increase the occupancy limit from 50 percent to 80 percent. Some casinos have also received special permission from the Nevada Gaming Control Board to completely lift the occupancy restrictions.
Las Vegas casinos have been under capacity constraints since they reopened last summer. All Nevada casinos may have the option to lift capacity limits and social distancing requirements on June 1, a target date set by Governor Steve Sisolak, as long as the state’s vaccination rates improve.
Here is a list of the casinos of real estate that are 100 percent occupied.
Silverton
From Wednesday the casino in Silverton will be able to operate at full capacity. The Off-Strip Hotel-Casino also announced plans to remove social distancing requirements on the casino floor and remove Plexiglas partitions from gaming tables and machines.
Guests and employees must continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing from the casino floor, a press release said.
“We have worked hard to adapt to ever-changing conditions to provide the safest environment for our employees and guests,” said Robert Kunkle, President of Silverton. “Our team answered the call to do their part to bring not only Silverton but also the city of Las Vegas back to a sense of normalcy. I am very grateful and proud for that.”
Silverton received regulatory approval to lift restrictions after setting up local COVID-19 vaccination clinics for employees and their families.
Station casinos
Starting Wednesday, Station Casinos will be able to operate full capacity casinos at all hotels including Red Rock Resort, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Boulder Station, Sunset Station, and Santa Fe Station.
Red Rock Resorts Inc., a publicly traded holding company that manages and owns a portion of the Station Casinos, recently agreed to sell the Palms property adjacent to the Strip. The remaining properties in its Las Vegas portfolio – Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, and Fiesta Henderson – have yet to reopen since they closed in March 2020.
Station Casinos said it vaccinated “an overwhelming majority” of its employees. The company has opened vaccination clinics on all of its properties since the beginning of April and has announced that it will continue its internal vaccination efforts and campaign to raise awareness of vaccinations into the summer.
MGM Resorts International Real Estate
MGM Resorts International announced on Wednesday that it will operate 100 percent social distancing casino floors in Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur.
“This is another major milestone in Las Vegas’ incredible recovery and testament to the importance of vaccination in fully reopening our community,” said CEO Bill Hornbuckle in a statement. “We will work to vaccinate as many people as possible and to follow health and safety protocols to protect our employees, guests and the community.”
The Strat
The Strat was able to move its casino floor to 100 percent capacity on Monday.
“Our team has worked diligently to meet the requirements of the Nevada Gaming Control Board that will not only take us to the next step in the safe reopening of Las Vegas, but will also improve our guest experience,” said Stephen Thayer, vice president and general manager from The Strat. “We will continue to support additional measures, including mask mandates, to keep team members and guests safe and healthy.”
The property’s group of owners, Golden Entertainment, held vaccination clinics for their employees and their families in a number of their properties in southern Nevada. Nearly 6,000 Nevadans work at the company’s casinos, operating game routes, and PT’s tavern locations, the company said last month.
Wynn Las Vegas and Encore
On May 3rd, the casino floors in Wynn Las Vegas and Encore were given permission to operate at 100 percent and remove Plexiglas partitions from table games and slot machines.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s decision came after Wynn Resorts Ltd. had shown that 88 percent of its employees were vaccinated by May 1st.
Wynn had encouraged employees to take recordings, share videos about the benefits of vaccinations, and offer on-site clinics. Workers who are not vaccinated must have a weekly COVID-19 test.
The cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
On May 1, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas received approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board to lift occupancy restrictions and remove social distancing restrictions and plastic barriers on gaming tables.
According to the property, 80 percent of the active workforce had been vaccinated by May 4, with each vaccination card checked by the resort’s COVID response team.
The high vaccination rates follow various incentives – including cash bonuses – set by the property as part of an internal vaccination campaign launched last month.
“We believe the only clear path to normalcy and the return of our entire workforce is through vaccination,” Property CEO and President William McBeath said in a press release. “It matters not just to The Cosmopolitan but to our entire industry to ensure that travel can return safely to its destination. I couldn’t be more proud of our team that has done its part to protect our city. “
Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com. consequences @bailey_schulz on twitter. Contact Mike Shoro at mshoro@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. Follow @mike_shoro on Twitter.
