This Week in Gambling

Everyone is excited for the Las Vegas reopen and to see things get (somewhat) back to normal. But what most people don’t know is the scary little secret about how returning visitors could have their whole vacation ruined before it even begins. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has added a new requirement to casinos reopen plans that might have you thinking twice about heading to Sin City. That requirements includes an order that casinos provide a “holding area” for people who aren’t not cleared to check in to a hotel by the health screening process. People who have probably flown…

Following a long wait and an uphill battle, Washington DC sports betting has finally been launched. The DC Lottery announced the roll out of their online sports wagering platform, although the mobile app has again been delayed until later this month. Betting on sports had been scheduled to launch in March but was delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Players can now register an account via the Gambet website and make sports bets, even though there are very few sporting events taking place right now. You can read more about the debut of Washington DC sports betting at iGaming Business.

The wait is finally over for Las Vegas casino openings! Here is a (mostly) complete list of which properties on the Strip, off the Strip and on Fremont Street will be welcoming customers this week: Strip Casinos Opening June 4th: Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, Cosmopolitan, Encore, Flamingo, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Palazzo, Sahara, The Strat, Treasure Island, Venetian and Wynn. Strip Casinos Opening June 5th: Harrah’s Strip Casinos Not Yet Scheduled for Opening: Aria, Bally’s, Cromwell, Excalibur, Linq, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Paris, Planet Hollywood, and Park MGM. Fremont Street Casinos Opening June 4th: Binion’s, California Casino, The D, Downtown…

While the big name casinos get most of the attention in Sin City, the world famous Fremont Street Experience reopens on June 3rd… a full day ahead of Vegas Strip properties. Visitors will be able to walk beneath the famous canopy beginning at 9 that morning, more than two months after COVID-19 shut down the city. The street performers and retail shops should follow shortly. The Fremont Street Viva Vision canopy is 1,500 feet long and 90 feet wide… suspended nearly 100 feet above the street itself… will display a 144-hour countdown to the moment casinos reopen on June 4….

The Democratic Chairman of Atlantic County, Michael Suleiman, has challenged the Governor of New Jersey to reopen Atlantic City casinos safely by the July 4th holiday. The July 4 weekend precedes the July 7 Democratic primary, which in Atlantic County features a fiercely contests race for Congress. “The Atlantic City metro area saw a stunning 32% decline in employment, and we run the real risk of having one or more casinos stay shuttered if the casinos can’t capitalize on Fourth of July weekend, which would result in thousands of middle-class and working-class residents losing their jobs,” Suleiman said. He continued…

As expected, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has announced that Las Vegas casinos will be allowed to reopen June 4th. Now, the mad rush begins for those casinos to get their reopening plans approved by the Gaming Control Board. Peoperties already chiming in about the reopen include Caesars Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas and the Wynn and Encore properties. Also, MGM’s Bellagio, New York-New York and MGM Grand. Plus, Boyd gaming’s Cosmopolitan. Following physical distancing guidelines, both Caesars Palace and the Flamingo will offer lodging, dining options and access to their outdoor pools, as well as slot machines and table games….