As Las Vegas casinos move toward the state’s goal of 100% capacity limits by June 1st, the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced that they will be allowed to raise those limits to 80% beginning on May 1st. Along with the rising capacity limits, social distancing will also be reduced to just three feet as of the first of next month. Both of these moves come as the Gaming Control Board released an emergency directive last week to let casinos follow directives of local authorities. In addition, the Board stated each individual property could submit a waiver that would allow fewer…

This week’s gambling news looks at what’s good, bad, and ugly about the Las Vegas recovery efforts after the pandemic. Vaccines are rolling out across America, speculation is that things could return to “normal” as soon as this summer. Hello, players! And welcome to This Week in Gambling! I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait for Las Vegas to completely reopen again at 100%! And according to some industry experts, a full Las Vegas recovery could happen within just a few months! This week’s big story has three parts: The good, the bad, and the ugly. First,…

The vaccine has been rolling out and recovery is underway. But despite the good news, many Las Vegas casinos are still dark. Thirteen, to be exact. And while some properties are waiting for restrictions to lessen, others have closed their doors forever. Some of the more popular properties on the “still closed” list include Main Street Station, Eldorado, Texas Station, and The Palms. It has already been announced that Main Street Station will reopen, but the question is when. The best answer is ‘when it’s profitable’, and that means when tourism returns. The Eldorado Casino is gone forever… sort of….

This week’s gambling news finds that the loosening of restrictions on Las Vegas casinos has several (MGM properties) making the decision to return to 24 hour, 7 day a week service. Meanwhile, the Virgin Las Vegas Hotel and Casino has set a new opening date, and even some Las Vegas shows are reopening with the expanding capacity limits. We also say goodbye to Full Tilt Poker, as PokerStars is closing the brand.   Hello, friends! Thanks so much for joining me on another edition of This Week in Gambling! And hey, couldn’t we all use some good news right about…

Most Las Vegas casinos are open, but with limited capacity… but some remain closed and may never open again. With the pandemic still causing issues, some players are wondering if Vegas will ever return to normal. What if this is the new normal? Additional stories we’re covering include new Las Vegas casinos on the way, and a major resort selling off a brand name!   Hello friends! And thanks for joining me on This Week in Gambling, where we’re addressing a question that’s on many people’s minds these days namely will Las Vegas casinos ever get back to normal? And…

The Coronavirus outbreak made it feel like a long wait for Las Vegas casinos to open again. But despite a pandemic that is still spreading, the state Gaming Control Board is not reconsidering a requirement for players to wear face masks while at casinos. They only way they would enforce a face mask requirement is if new COVID-19 cases became so bad that they overwhelmed hospitals. Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Morgan said she is not looking to change direction, even as the Southern Nevada Health District’s acting chief health officer issued pleas for business customers to wear masks to protect…

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….