Alex Meruelo has new troubles. He’s in deep fertilizer with the Nevada Gaming Control Board over safety violations at the Sahara. Meruelo’s facing a two-part disciplinary complaint. In one instance, the Sahara hosted a 153-person convention when state rules explicitly ban gatherings of over 50 people. Evidently somebody at the Sahara has trouble with math. Then there’s this, as reported by Howard Stutz, “On June 16, the Sahara is alleged to have allowed four patrons to stand on the side of a craps table when only three of the customers were playing in the game. The same day, state gaming agents said they witnessed a person standing between two players at a blackjack table and not participating in a game. Also, the agents said they witnessed five patrons surrounding a slot machine player and not participating in gaming activity.” Sahara management chalked up the trouble to a “misunderstanding” and said they’ve cracked down on the misbehavior on the casino floor.
“In general, our core customers have not been deterred by the social distancing measures, limited amenities or masking requirements … We intend to keep this philosophy in place after the crisis is over. We think largely that many of the costs will stay out. [Boyd] will not simply return to the old way of doing business.”—Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith.
