Crisis mode hits Las Vegas

Our country is still trying to grasp the ramifications of Coronavirus, as Broadway goes dark, Disneyland and Disneyworld are closed, The Masters and Boston Marathon are postponed, and cancellations of sporting and cultural events (here and abroad) comprise a list longer than our arm. Larry “Airtight” Kudlow says that Americans are panicking but he’s been wrong about Covid-19 so many times before that now we actually do feel the temptation to panic. But it’s a passing thought. Despite some mitigation efforts observed by S&G sources and readers like Mike Zidik (thanks, all of you), the casino industry has been hanging tough. While it has to answer to state authorities in most cases (Florida being a notorious exception), that sort of government oversight is nowhere near so draconian as in Macao.

Still, we are the formation of a crisis along the Las Vegas Strip. To wit …

• • Wynncore is closing its poker room and (largely idled) sports book, beginning tomorrow. Besides, nothing says “germs” like a smoke-filled poker room. Also, the buffet is closed, along with XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club. Guests are being screened via “non-invasive thermal camera.” Those registering a temperature over 100 will “discreetly” informed and 86’d. In a measure adapted from Macao, gaming machines will be moved farther apart.
  • Following the shutdown of Wet Republic, closures of pools and nightclubs (too many to name) are spreading like wildfire.
  • Of much greater concern, multiple employees at MGM Resorts International have tested “presumptive positive … and we expect there will be more in the coming days.”
  • Hakkasan has suspended operations temporarily after an employee tested presumptive positive.
  • Occupancy at MGM Grand is anecdotally reported at 10% or lower. Ditto Caesars Palace. Casino workers are reportedly telling customers they’re being sent home for a lack of things to do. Weekend room rates at Caesars are now said to be down to $99.
  • The Nightclub & Bar Show and International Pizza Expo have been postponed to June. The former will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center June 22-24. A new date for the Pizza Expo has yet to be announced.
  • Donald Trump said he is “considering” domestic travel restrictions, adding, “If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it.”
  • Business at Las Vegas‘ Asian restaurants is in a tailspin. Tourists—even Asian tourists—are avoiding eateries like Yi Mei Champion Taiwan Deli. Cruel irony: Taiwan is one of the countries with the best anti-coronavirus containment regimen.
  • In case you’re interested, the New York Times has obtained best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19. They’re not pretty.

We could go on but here’s the gist: Shit just got real.

* Finally, we report with great sadness a death in the S&G family. Our loyal, 21-year-old, Russian Blue cat Piglet died this morning, following kidney failure and a stroke that incapacitated her back legs. Piggy was a faithful friend during long S&G workdays, sunning herself peacefully just a few feet from my desk. She’s been a part of our lives for decades and my wife’s and my sadness cannot be overstated. Thank you for understanding.