Not every "casino" has to have food available around the clock, but every property that is covered by the relevant section of Chapter 463 of the state gaming regulations, this being the part that covers licensing and control of gaming, faces this obligation (not least because another point in the same paragraph insists on these properties also providing liquor from a bar).
According to NRS 463.1605, a non-restricted gaming license, i.e., one that enables a property to operate both gambling machines (and in excess of 15 of them) and table games and a race and sports book, in county whose population is 100,000 or more, may only be granted to what's defined as a "resort-hotel". (There are a couple of obscure exceptions to the rule with which we won't bore you, but that basically apply to an existing property that's forced to move to temporary digs during a redevelopment project, for example).
So, what is a "resort-hotel," you may ask?
According to NRS 463.01865, a "resort hotel" means any building or group of buildings that is maintained as and held out to the public to be a hotel where sleeping accommodations are furnished to the transient public and that has:
1. More than 200 rooms available for sleeping accommodations; 2. At least one bar with permanent seating capacity for more than 30 patrons that serves alcoholic beverages sold by the drink for consumption on the premises; 3. At least one restaurant with permanent seating capacity for more than 60 patrons that is open to the public 24 hours each day and 7 days each week; and 4. A gaming area within the building or group of buildings. (Added to NRS by 1991, 1405)
Thus, even when the Sahara closed two of its hotel towers at the height of the recession -- a precursor of graver things to come -- the remaining Tangiers tower housed 1,720 rooms, so still kept the property fully compliant on the room-count front (and the other rooms were there to be used, if required). We're pretty sure they kept the coffee shop open until the end, too (if anyone remembers otherwise, let us know).
How Binion's, which on December 14, 2009 closed both its hotel and coffee shop manages to retain a non-restricted license is less obvious, although the fact that owner TLC Enterprises continues to operate the hotel at the Four Queens casino across the street, which has almost twice as many rooms as Binion's ever did, probably helps to explain it, as does the fact that the large amount of asbestos found the last time Binion's was due for a major upgraded prevented the renovation taking place to to excessive costs. The 24-four-hour coffee shop is back in biz, however, so the property is compliant on the dining front. The Plaza is similarly acting as the accommodation-adjunct to the Vegas Club, now that the latter has closed its hotel.
When a wave of casino coffee-shop closures took place a few years back (See QoD 7/23/2011 and the Today's News archive) a couple of property's caught our attention as not conforming to point 3 in the above-quoted paragraph, of which Circus Circus springs to mind as having been an example for a short while when the coffee shop closed to make way for Rock 'n Rita's, which initially did not operate around the clock. R'n'R's then stepped in with an all-night menu until the Deli reverted back to being 24/7 -- a scenario that's common if the regular 24/7 eatery at a property closes down for a remodel or re-brand.
