More Las Vegas casinos and hotels are getting ready to open their doors to guests. No less than five properties on or near the Vegas Strip will open between June 18 and July 1.
Nevada casinos were allowed to reopen on June 4 after being ordered to close in mid-March by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak.
Many off-strip Las Vegas casinos opened on June 4 just after the clock struck midnight. The casinos on the Vegas Strip waited a few hours and opened later in the day. However, not all casinos in Las Vegas opened the day and week after they were allowed. The casino operators are slowly opening more properties as demand increases.
MGM Resorts casino openings
Last week MGM Resorts opened Excalibur and now has plans to open more properties. The company announced that Luxor and The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay Place will reopen on June 25 at 10 a.m.
MGM Resorts will open Aria at 10 a.m. on July 1. Mandalay Bay, Delano and Four Seasons (also at Mandalay Bay) will also open on July 1 at 11 a.m. There’s no official opening date for the third hotel tower at Mandalay Bay, Delano Las Vegas, yet.
“It was exciting and emotional to see the energy in Las Vegas…as we welcomed back our employees and reopened our doors to guests for the first time in months,” said MGM Resorts’ Acting CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle. “Our guests are having a great time and are thrilled to be back in the city they love. We are eager to get more of our employees back to work and enhance the Las Vegas experience with additional resorts.
The following MGM Resorts Las Vegas casinos are open or will open shortly:
- Bellagio
- MGM Grand
- New York-New York
- Excalibur
- Luxor (June 25)
- Aria (July 1)
- Mandalay Bay and Delano (July 1)
It’s possible Delano, Park MGM, The Mirage, and/or Vdara will be used by NHL players and staff. The casinos and hotels in some form could be used as part of Las Vegas being a hub city for the NHL Stanley Cup playoff tournament.
Expect to hear opening dates for the remaining properties after the official announcement by the NHL on playoffs taking place in Las Vegas.
Caesars Las Vegas casino openings
Like MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment is opening its Las Vegas casinos in phases. Caesars Palace and Flamingo were the first two properties to open in Las Vegas on June 4. That was followed by Harrah’s a day later. The Linq promenade and High Roller observation wheel have also opened on a limited basis.
Last week, Caesars opened The Linq casino and amenities. The hotel and parking garage remain closed. Paris Las Vegas will be the next Caesars Las Vegas casino to open on June 18 at 10 a.m.
Caesars CEO Tony Rodio said about the new openings:
“We are encouraged by customer interest and visits, strong demand, and the implementation, so far, of our enhanced health and safety protocols. This is a new way of operating, and we will continue to evaluate and adjust our procedures to enhance guest and team member comfort and experiences.”
The following Caesars Las Vegas casinos are open now or will open shortly:
- Caesars Palace
- Flamingo
- Harrah’s
- The Linq (casino and amenities only, hotel TBA)
- Paris (June 18)
Caesars venues and amenities are operating on a limited basis. The company is continuously updating its Las Vegas reopening page.
Westgate opening June 18
Just off the Vegas Strip, Westgate Las Vegas is reopening at noon on June 18. The casino and hotel will open a little differently than other nearby casinos. David Siegel, the owner of Westgate, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he wants the property to be the safest in Las Vegas.
Like all Las Vegas casinos, Westgate employees will be wearing face masks. Westgate staff will also wear a photo of themselves smiling so people know what the person actually looks like without a mask.
The casino will require players to wear a face covering at about half of the table games. Additionally, there will be some elevators that require guests to wear a face mask in order to ride.
Seigel and company have been upgrading the Westgate while it’s been closed. The Las Vegas SuperBook is getting a huge visual overhaul. The 240-by-20 foot HD video wall is being upgraded. The new screens will have a new configuration with a larger ticker at the bottom. This will make it easier to stay updated on scores. The new screens will also be brighter which will make them even crisper and easier on the eyes.
Face coverings not required for guests … yet
All casino employees in Nevada are required to wear a face mask while working. The same can’t be said for all guests. Nevada casinos recommend guests wear a face covering inside of the casino, but don’t require guests to wear a mask for entry.
Guests can move about the casinos without a face mask. Anecdotally, the majority of casino guests have been shunning face coverings when milling about the casinos. It appears that younger guests are almost completely not wearing a mask when visiting — especially at night. More older guests are wearing a mask when visiting a casino.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will not require guests in casinos to wear a face covering yet. However, Gov. Sisolak and the NGCB are keeping an eye on COVID-19 cases. In a press conference updating Nevada on the current status of COVID-19, Sisolak said the government could revisit requiring masks if COVID-19 cases begin to burden hospitals.
Nevada reopening Phase 2 continues
Phase 2 of the Nevada reopening plan started on May 29. Casinos were allowed to open on June 4 as part of the plan. During his recent press conference, Gov. Sisolak said that the state will remain in Phase 2, as there’s been a slight upward trend in COVID-19 infections.
Casinos will have the same social distancing measurements and limited capacity at least until the second phase is complete. Sisolak intends to address the state again before the month is over.
Las Vegas casinos are reacting to the Phase 2 changes. Nightclubs have been repurposed as lounges. Dayclubs are being used as poolside clubs on a reservation-only basis. Similarly, the buffet at Wynn will reopen on June 18 as a seated all-you-can-eat experience with similar food.
