While Nevada casinos aren’t yet permitted to reopen, the Nevada Gaming Control Board is speaking out with guidelines on how they should operate in a post-pandemic world, with the goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The announcement comes on the heels of Governor Steve Sisolak’s announcement on Thursday that he will allow certain businesses to reopen as early as this Saturday, albeit with capacity restricted to 50%. This includes restaurants and salons, with the decision for casino reopening being left up to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Sisolak expressed that Nevada casinos aren’t part of his Phase One plans for reopening the state, but many believe the Nevada Gaming Control Board is gearing up to grant the more than 440 gambling establishments across the state the right to open as early as Memorial Day Weekend, just two weeks away.
Under the guidelines, poker rooms can only feature four players at the table, making for short-handed play. While this could force poker rooms to close due to the lack of big pots and large tournaments, casual players mind find solace in the less crowded environment.
Poker players looking for a fun casino experience will also find a changed environment, with craps tables limited to six, Roulette tables limited to four, and Blackjack tables limited to just three players.
Even with the reduced capacity at the tables, it’s not clear just how the casinos will force players to keep the recommended 6 feet apart.
For more information on when Las Vegas poker rooms and casinos will officially reopen, watch for breaking news at Poker.org.
