Fox 5 News Casino Opening

Fox 5 News Casino Opening News

What guests can expect when the Las Vegas Strip reopens

Washington, D.C. News, weather, traffic and sports from FOX 5, serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Watch breaking news live or see the latest videos from programs like Good.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) - MGM Resorts International released its casino reopening plans Tuesday, with plans to screen employees and guests, a requirement for all employees to wear masks and physical.

From temperature checks to plastic barriers, how casinos are preparing to reopen and welcome guests back in June.

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Vegas is betting that it’s time to reopen.

The first casinos on the Las Vegas Strip will reopen June 4. As with several other tourist attractions across the country, however, these establishments will only be partially reopening and offering limited amenities.

According to MGM Resorts International, three of the company’s Las Vegas casinos will reopen for the beginning of June: the Bellagio, New York-New York and MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Washington, D.C. News, weather, traffic and sports from FOX 5, serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Watch breaking news live or see the latest videos from programs like Good.

Along with these casinos, The Signature, a resort connected with the MGM Grand, will also reopen the first week of June.

A press release said that while amenities will be limited when the properties reopen, “additional venues within these resorts and other MGM resorts properties on the Strip will reopen” as demand for the destination builds.

The casinos will utilize a seven-point safety plan to maintain guest health and safety. This will include health screenings for employees, requiring workers to wear masks (guests will be encouraged to wear them but not required), using floor guides to promote physical distancing, providing additional hand-washing stations, providing guests with contactless check-in at resorts and digital menus at restaurants. Valet parking will not be available to guests upon reopening.

While the casinos and resorts will have limited amenities, the fountains at the Bellagio will be up and running.

Also on June 4, Caesars Palace and The Flamingo will also reopen, FOX 5 Vegas reports. The casinos will reportedly offer games, lodging and restaurants and retail and dining outlets along the LINQ Promenade will also reopen.

Coronavirus pandemic could spell economic disaster for Las Vegas

Like much of the country, Nevada has all but shut down with the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip going dark amid efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. But unlike other parts of the nation, no other state relies so heavily on tourism to drive its economy.

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Casino executives in Las Vegas, NV., are deliberating certain ways to keep customers and employees safe once the gambling mecca eventually opens to guests, according to a report on Wednesday.

Some of the informal talks have discussed safety measures that include putting masks and gloves on dealers, in addition to re-opening facilities nearby so employees and possibly tourists could get tested for COVID-19.

Las Vegas would start by re-opening small businesses around the area so locals could start working again to alleviate economic hardships, according to Bloomberg.

The Las Vegas Strip is deserted on April 14, as casinos and other businesses are closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The casinos would operate with as few as one-third of its rooms available for booking, with its entrances curbed and the temperatures of guests checked by noninvasive methods, the paper said.

Other deliberations include having gamblers sit at least a chair apart at blackjack tables, as social distancing concerns have the potential to linger for an indefinite period of time.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak had previously announced that all casinos, movie theaters, bars, restaurants, and gyms would close on March 18 to help fight the spread of the COVID-19.

The move was echoed by Caesars Entertainment CEO Tony Rodio who said in a press release the corporation would temporarily shut down its owned properties in North America to protect the well being of its employees and guests.

It's not clear when Las Vegas will reopen its casinos, although Sisolak has made it clear the health of the public remains his concern.

“This is not going to be a political decision for me, as for when to open,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “I don’t have an exact number. I’ll take a lot of advice from our medical folks and determine what’s in the best interest of keeping all Nevadans safe.”