“Green shoots” in gaming; Mega-Jottings

According to the American Gaming Association, 82 of 989 casinos in the United States have reopened, many of them in Louisiana starting today. But don’t take our word for it. Use the AGA’s Coronavirus tracker, which keeps you abreast of casino closures/reopenings. It’s a handy research tool. The AGA’s main legislative priority is to ride herd on the Heroes Act, defining its three priorities in the legislation as:

• Ensuring government loan programs are accessible to all segments of the gaming industry.
• Advancing measures that protect AGA members from additional economic harm and enhance financial solvency.
• Policies to aid the industry’s recovery over both the short and long-term.

Patience will be a must for AGA President Bill Miller, as he doesn’t expect the Heroes Act to pass until well into June. On the health front, a newly bearded Miller takes to Twitter to advocate keeping the “green shoots” of the industry congruent with “a both safe and fun” gaming experience. “Health and safety have to be number one, two and three,” Miller says, looking toward the development of a Covid-19 vaccine as the time when things can return to normal (if we’re not over-interpreting).

Finally, the AGA takes a victory lap on the second anniversary of the legalization of sports betting across the nation. Twenty-one states have enabled it (plus the District of Columbia), 16 more are considering it and $22 billion has been wagered, engendering $190 million in taxes. (Miller is that rare industry lobbyist who doesn’t complain about paying the taxman.) As though to mark the anniversary, NASCAR resumed yesterday—undoubtedly to the hosannas of bettors everywhere—and one of the rare upsides of Coronavirus is that it will eat holes in state budgets that will make sports betting more attractive. We welcome more states into the big tent.

R.I.P., Diamond Jacks. The Shreveport riverboat casino is a permanent casualty of the pandemic-propelled shutdown. Anybody need a used riverboat? States where casinos are expected to open imminently include Mississippi, Arkansas and South Dakota. In California, breakaway casinos include (in descending order of health rigor, with Valley View Casino leading the way) Viejas Casino & Resort, Harrah’s Resort Southern California and Sycuan Casino Resort. Next month they will be joined by giant Pechanga Casino Resort, which has already reopened its RV park and golf course. In Arizona, all the major tribal casinos should be back open by the time you read this. They are adopting Las Vegas-style health precautions. Others, however, are waiting a couple of weeks and four have announced no resumption date.

In Louisiana, aside from the demise of Diamond Jack’s, the reopening of Harrah’s New Orleans was delayed by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D, right) is limiting attendance to 25% of capacity, saying, “While we’re easing restrictions, it’s not mission accomplished. We’re not declaring victory. There’s still Covid out there.” In neighboring Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has tacitly indicated that casinos are green-lit for May 21. Golden Nugget Biloxi GM Chett Harrison is champing at the bit, saying, “Give us the word and give us three to four days, and we’ll be ready.” No doubt Tilman Fertitta is chewing on Harrison’s butt to get back in the game, Employees (but not customers) will be temperature-monitored for the virus. Next door in Alabama, the Poarch Creek Band of Indians is keeping its casino powder dry, telling customers to be patient a little longer. It’s a similar state of affairs in Ohio, where MGM Northfield Park expects to be shuttered through August 31.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R, below) reopened casinos today, albeit at 33% capacity. Quapaw Nation‘s Saracen Casino is even going so far as to require that its customers don masks. South Dakota is claiming last-to-close/first-to-reopen bragging rights, although we clearly recall Montana resuming business a week earlier. Currently marking its first week back in business, South Dakota is mandating two slot machine spaces between players but four punters to a table game. Reported Liv Hospitality CEO Caleb Arcenaux, “We were about 15 percent or 20 percent higher than a typical weekend business, which is significant. Cabin fever’s real, and I think people wanted to get out and experience gaming again.”

As Detroit casinos wait for May 28, Michigan‘s tribal Island Resort & Casino remains in yes-no-maybe status (the last mooted reopening was May 16). Whenever it does reopen, Macao-style safety measures will be in place. Iowa‘s 19 casinos are on hold until May 27 and projections of revenue decline for this fiscal year range from 7% to 20%. Although some Hawkeye State casinos are pretty small potatoes, all are expected to emerge from the shutdown intact. Oklahoma‘s tribal casinos are a patchwork of reopenings and postponements, impossible to summarize. Surrealistic sights on Sooner State casino floors have included a patron smoking a cigar through his mask.

Finally, Missouri casinos were to have been open by now but that’s been pushed back to June 1. Ameristar St. Charles is expected to be first out of the gate (counties are staggering their reopenings), news that Boyd Gaming will welcome. Across the river in East St. Louis, the city is strangling on the shutdown of Casino Queen. The cash cow supplies $700K of the city’s budget.

Readers polled by Global Gaming Business think recovery will come first to tribal casinos (55%), followed by regional ones (25%). The Las Vegas Strip is a decided underdog at 7% and Singapore brings up the rear with 2% (casinos are still closed in the city-state).

Jottings: According to an S&G source, MGM Resorts International has renounced parking fees in Las Vegas. Could it be too good to be true? Forget buffets at the Tropicana Las Vegas and M Resort. You’ll get prepackaged sandwiches and like it … Wynncore remains closed but its golf course will resume play May 18. Now if we could only afford the $$$ greens fees … Expect a thermal screening when you visit a Station Casinos property. We know you want to gamble but don’t do it with your life … Journalist Bill Sokolic reports that “the [Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority] has introduced a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that’s been slashed by 36 percent from last year’s. The $160.6 million spending plan includes $65 million for advertising, also down 36 percent from last year. The budget anticipates a hiring freeze, 168 layoffs and cuts to salaries and benefits of $23.7 million” … The indefinite shutdown of New Jersey casinos continues to roil Atlantic City‘s convention economy. Lamented Meet AC Vice President of Sales Sandi Harvey, “Over 50 percent of our events have rebooked for 2021” … MGM China CEO Grant Bowie is opting for early retirement at the end of this month. However, he’ll stay with the company in an advisory capacity until sometime in 2022. The news flummoxed analysts, who said (as we have) “MGM Cotai [is] not ramping up as well as expected” and expressed surprise that MGM had no succession plan in place. They’ll need all the advice from Bowie, a 12-year Macanese veteran, they can get … The new statement in fashionable beachwear is the trikini, invented by Tiziana Scaramuzzo. Are we going to see them when Vegas pool season belatedly gets into gear? The suits’ bright color schemes are said to be an almost-perfect antidote for pandemic blues … Why count on a casino to provide you with a mask and gloves? McCarran International Airport is installing vending machines that dispense PPE. It’s a national first and will also provide hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. The inventory is priced to move and whoever had this idea deserves a raise.