Here’s a good rundown of the economic-stimulus bill. Republicans made some concessions (attaching strings to corporate bailouts) and Democrats made others (no forgiveness or deferment for student loans). It’s not yet 
clear how much of its wish list the casino industry got, although it appears there will be some tax deferrals—payroll taxes—and loans. Whether casinos qualify for the latter remains to be seen. Trump International Las Vegas won’t. The American Gaming Association‘s most outrageous demand—for a direct cash infusion—appears to have vanished. As for “special bankruptcy protections,” hopefully they won’t be needed but that can has been kicked down the road. There are still a lot of moving parts but the resort industry looks like it’s caught a break, with Congress playing the part of the responsible adult and not giving away the store.
Shame, however, on the Sahara, which—I was just informed—laid off its workforce without any severance whatsoever. Good luck, Alex Meruelo, when it comes time to re-staff your resort.
