Vegas Casinos Set To Reopen on June 1st

On June the 1st, Las Vegas is expected to fully reopen with casinos finally being able to get back on their feet. Casinos have struggled with months of lockdowns during the pandemic. Seeing as it’s a place of close social interaction, it has been one of the last places to reopen.

The pandemic has been an existential threat to casinos, in which online live casino has step-in as a replacement; bringing live dealers into the homes of thousands around the world.

Vegas is looking to bet big on vaccinations. They are claiming that those fully vaccinated will not need a mask to enter, meaning the famous MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, among others, will have removed the face mask requirement for guests who have been vaccinated.

Other resorts, such as Wynn and Encore, have employed their own unique procedures. They want at least a 14-day period after the final vaccine dose before accepting custom without a mask. However, Wynn is also allowing staff members to ditch their masks too if fully vaccinated, bringing a sense of normality and atmosphere back into casinos.

Because of this news, Wynn claims to have seen a spike in unvaccinated workers looking to get their jabs. It seems that whilst many were indifferent to the idea of vaccination, the allure of ditching the mask is enough to accept a jab.

Furthermore, Cosmopolitan claims that 80% of its 4,000+ workforce has received a vaccination dose (at least their first). Cosmopolitan offered $1 million worth of bonuses to encourage shots, though evidently, a simple no-mask promise may have been enough.

Non-vaccinated guests are still welcome but must cover their faces. What many are surprised at is that a number of casinos have already gotten back to 100% full capacity.

This no-mask rule is fantastic news for the industry because it will certainly increase demand. This isn’t to say people should be throwing their masks away anytime soon, mind. Airplanes, public transport, and many other places still require a face mask until at least the 13th of September.

Furthermore, casinos can still require face masks - this is up to them. Whilst some may find it will hinder the number of people they will get through the doors, others may think it will offer a sense of comfort for some being a safety measure.

In fact, many nearby Vegas restaurants are going to continue with the mask-wearing policy for the time being - though not all. There is a worry that visitors to Vegas will be confused by these conflicting and contrary policies from one establishment to another.

Nevada doesn’t actually require businesses to check the vaccination status of customers. This is why there are conflicting policies. If all customers were forced to check the status, it may be that everyone will offer the no-mask policy. However, some may view checking the vaccination status as intruding more on people’s rights than making them wear a mask - a deliberation that is subjective to each business owner. Furthermore, there are logistical difficulties in checking for vaccination status.

How the pandemic helped an online casino boom

Many casinos shut down permanently during the pandemic, whilst others had to borrow money to survive. Whilst Vegas tourism should be fine in the long-term, its near-term fall in demand will exist until international flights open back up.

The second worry is that some people have simply switched to using online casinos. They have replaced physical casinos during the pandemic, and it’s not an accurate assumption to think everyone will switch back to physical casinos. Many will enjoy the benefits of accessing the games from anywhere, on any device, and at any time.

Online casinos were already on a fast growth trajectory prior to the pandemic. Game development was at an all-time high, and so was an innovation. There is far more choice when it comes to what game to play online, which arguably makes it more interesting than the limited selection of games within traditional casinos.

Furthermore, playing your regular online tournaments and meeting online friends may be hard to discard. There will undoubtedly be cravings and demand for these full-capacity, no-mask casinos upon reopening, but many believe online casino’s presence and threat to land-based casinos is here to stay.

Of course, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, as some traditional casinos have invested in an online platform during the pandemic. This was when they realized that revenue streams need to be diversified if lockdowns prevent their hotels from being open. Many are still without online platforms, however.

The ones who have branched out into online platforms can somewhat marry the two together. For example, bringing the most popular online games inside the casino so users can continue their games in-store. Vegas casino demand and revenue will be interesting to speculate on in the coming months, and if it hits pre-pandemic levels ever again.