Question of the Day - 23 May 2020

While it makes great business sense to ‘throw the patrons a bone‘ by eliminating the parking fee, you gotta remember where in the parking fees came from: response to the problem of parking for T-Mobile.

Once events at T-Mobile and other venues return (with fans!), those fees are sure return as well.

Hopefully, this time, they’ll do the right thing and offer validation/free parking for casino patrons.

I saw the following in a Vegas newsletter I get, I can't vouch for its accuracy and like everything else it's subject to change-
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The Nevada Gaming Board issued these requirements for Nevada casinos to comply with for reopening:

1) Allow no more than 50% of the fire dept’s max occupancy for the casino.
2) Employees must wear face masks.
3) Customers are encouraged to wear face masks but is not required except rule 4.
4) In situations where 6 ft spacing can not be done customers must wear face masks.
5) No more than 3 players at blackjack table.
6) No more than 6 players at craps table (3 on each end).
7) No more than 4 players at roulette.
8) No more than 4 players at poker table.
9) No more than 4 people in elevators.
10) Slot and video poker machines cleaned frequently on a 24 hour schedule.
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11) Equipment such as cards, dice, chips, etc touched by customers must be cleaned before next customer touches it.
12) 6 ft spacing in all lines such as restaurant, casino cage, valet, bathroom, etc.
13) 6 ft spacing between players on machines.
14) Pools can open but patrons must maintain 6 ft separation (except small family groups).
15) Pool chairs and loungers must be wiped down after each use.
16) Nightclubs and dayclubs remain closed for now.
17) Buffets remain closed for now.
18) Hotel front desk is to use contactless practices.
19) Casino security personnel and employees must enforce these rules.

The same newsletter had this announcement about MGM properties-
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MGM plans to only open two properties at first, then open the others as time goes by. The first two to open will be Bellagio and New York-New York. They are considering the following safety procedures, will make changes as needed:

1) Forehead temperature check to enter the resort
2) Face masks required for employees
3) Face masks recommended for guests but not required
4) 6 ft spacing in all areas possible
5) If 6 ft spacing is not practical then face masks are required
6) Plexiglass barriers to protect employees and guests
7) Extra hand sanitizer and hand washing stations throughout the resort
8) Installing UV and other antiseptic equipment to the ventilation system
9) Hotline 24 hour phone number for guests and employees to report unsafe situations
10)  Hotel check-in/check-out by remote methods, room keys issued by machine kiosk
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11) No buffets at any MGM property for now
12) The NYNY roller coaster will be open but riders will be spaced apart

Resort fees will be replaced with "just because we can" fees, averaging $50 a night and imposed with no explanation or justification whatsoever.

There could be a reason to allow only hotel guests to play in their casino, at least in the early days of opening.  (How it would be enforced ???)

Contact tracing.  Properties, or more correctly the health departments might have a shot at contact tracing should a spike in cases occur following the early days of opening, particularly in visitors versus non-visitors.  Otherwise if all casinos are opened and players bounce around like usual, it would be near impossible to isolate where exposures may have occurred.  It also could point to whether cleaning and distancing procedures (including enforcement) are effective in this or that property.  And the wisdom (or folly) of opening at all when they do.

Just a thought. 

Then there are the planes...

Exercise in futility?

Thanks for calling this time the new "abnormal".  There is nothing normal about it!  Also a great time to try non smoking.  I hope they do.  

I'm from Southern California, which is far & away the biggest area of origin for visitors to Las Vegas. The smoking rate for residents in CA is the 2nd lowest in the nation, under 12% (with only Utah lower). But for gamblers, the rate is higher. Here in CA, smoking is banned in all restaurants, bars, stores, businesses, gov't buildings, etc., something you people in the rest of the country aren't expected to understand. Thus, SoCal smokers look forward to going to Vegas so that they can smoke much more freely, especially including at gambling tables & at slot or video poker machines. While it's a bummer to them that smoking has been banned in restaurants in Vegas, they will smoke anywhere they can get away with it, including in elevators, where smoking is illegal. Vegas hotels know that they cannot afford to do without SoCal gamblers, so they will not shut them out by banning smoking in casinos.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority keeps accurate records of the visitors to Las Vegas, it's pretty important to LV for economic reasons. According to them California visitors typically amount to less than one-third of all Vegas visitors and it has been decreasing in recent years toward one-fourth. You have to include all 13 western USA states to barely get to 50%. In 2018 the number of California visitors was only 23% of visitors that Vegas received. California has many more local casinos than it had in years past, so Vegas gets less people from California than it used to, especially from southern California. California is important to Las Vegas but it is just part of the overall mix of people. There are just as many visitors from the midwest/southern states as from California, and those folks have to fly in, so they are more motivated to visit, and stay extra days, spend more, which is a desirable trait to casinos. Checkout the LVCVA website at  

www.lvcva.com

From a comment above: The Nevada Gaming Board: 9) No more than 4 people in elevators.

What? That is the craziest rule. If it's important to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between people, even allowing two people in an elevator would violate that rule in most elevators. Plus, elevators are small, tightly closed containers, unlike supermarkets or casino floors.

This china virus will make the 2008 recession look like a cake walk

I guess they expect elevator users to wear face masks, per rule 4. And by limiting elevator capacity to 4 people that will help minimize cross-contamination, like touching handrails and elevator buttons, holding the door open for others, etc. But I don't see how they can have an employee wipe down every elevator after every use. Maybe they will do like the old days when an employee was stationed in the elevator and operated it. That would eliminate everyone touching buttons.  "Your floor number please?"  He could press the floor buttons and do a wipe down on other surfaces now and then. Things are gonna be different and crazy. Remember when they first told us in 2006 at airports we had to take off our shoes? People thought it was ridiculous, but we're still doing it.

Just so i read this right,did somebody say that smoking is allowed in casinos,cause if not then i won't bring cigars,i  usually only smoke them when im out there