This Week in Gambling

For those of you watching the steps toward a Las Vegas reopen this will be exciting news! The first phase of the process has begun, and it’s a week ahead of schedule! The Nevada Gaming Commission approved guidelines proposed by the Control Board, and Governor Steve Sisolak announced that the first phase would begin May 9th, a week ahead of the planned May 15th. Those guidelines included strict social distancing measures that were highlighted by increased distance at slot machines and a limit on how many players can sit at a given gaming table. Under these rules, all poker games…

Don’t look now, but the Wynn Las Vegas and their sister site Encore could actually open as early as this month… if (and it’s a big “if”) Nevada’s phased reopening schedule moves along quickly. Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox said that when the time is right the company will probably reopen both of its Vegas Strip resorts together in a limited capacity. Maddox added that reopening ultimately would depend on public health benchmarks set by state officials and by Wynn’s reopening plan that was released in April. “Clearly, we won’t be opening large mass gathering places — nightclubs or convention…

Strategic Partnership embraces the challenge as an opportunity for further growth SiGMA Group and Macau Gaming Show (MGS) have announced a new strategic partnership. This joining of forces will foster a stronger presence int he Asian gaming industry communities in both Manila and Macau, whilst also strengthening ties to a growing network of thought leaders and experts in land-based gaming. The 2020 pandemic has undoubtedly been a catalyst which has spurred land-based gaming companies and IRs on to diversify their offering and allay risks by incorporating online gaming and emerging tech into their remit, making the launch a well timed…

All across America, casino workers are asking for more protective equipment from employers, and for new cleaning and social distancing policies in place before they agree to return to work. Two of the country’s largest casino worker unions, Unite Here and the Culinary Workers Union, representing workers from casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi, held a video news conference Tuesday to call for all workers to be tested at the casinos’ expense before returning back to their jobs. They also laid out detailed health and safety protocols unique to each worker’s job. The calls came…

Great news, as Montana casinos reopen after the state lifted Coronavirus restrictions on casinos, restaurants and bars! Those establishments had been closed for seven weeks but were allowed to open their doors yesterday. That was the date identified by Governor Steve Bullock which would allow casinos to reopen while observing proper social-distancing. There are still limits on crowds and servers are wearing masks and gloves. And not all establishments reopened immediately, and some industry workers expressed concern that interacting with customers puts them at risk. Churches and retail shops in Montana opened last week as the stay-at-home order was lifted,…

As we inch slowly closer to the Las Vegas reopening, it’s apparent that things will not be “business as usual” when Vegas casinos open their doors. All sorts of Coronavirus protocols will be in place to prevent the spread of disease, and those changes will take some getting used to for casino players. Also, we discuss the effect that the pandemic has had for online gambling in America.     Hello players! J.Todd back with another week of gambling news. While we all wait for this damn pandemic to end so we can get back to our normal lives. Waiting…