Vegas Baby, May Never Be the Same Again

The number of times in history Las Vegas casinos have been forced to shut can be counted on one hand. In the gambling capital of the world, the sounds of the slot machines are a constant.

But not now. Casinos closed their doors last month and, as yet, there are no clear signs of when they might be able to reopen and welcome customers again. With Vegas typically hosting around 3.5 million tourists a month, the impact of the shutdown could be absolutely devastating.

Many of the upcoming live shows that were to be hosted by Vegas casinos have also been postponed or even cancelled altogether, with the city’s very future in doubt as a result.

Will Las Vegas recover from the lockdown?

When casinos in Vegas were first forced to shutter, Wynn-Encore signalled it expected to be able to open its properties in around two weeks. But that fortnight has already passed, and it does not appear likely that Vegas casinos are going to be open again any time soon.

Indeed, the lockdown in Vegas has already been confirmed by Nevada’s governor Steve Sisolak to run until April 30 and many expect a further extension to be announced in the coming days. Nevada Gaming Commission chairman Tony Alamo has told the Las Vegas Sun that casinos will wait for scientific observations of the pandemic’s spread to declare that it is safe for non-essential businesses to operate again.

Industry body the American Gaming Association (AGA) earlier called for the government to provide support for affected businesses in the casino sector. That support duly arrived from President Trump, with the move welcomed by the AGA, though the organisation said it would continue to battle for struggling businesses to receive the support they need at this time.

“We will keep fighting to help every aspect of the gaming industry as Congress and the administration consider additional economic relief measures,” the AGA said. It is thought that around 200,000 casino workers in Vegas have been affected by the city’s shutdown so far. According to data collected by the Economic Policy Institute, the unemployment rate in Nevada could rise to around the 20 percent mark as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Naturally, public health remains the top priority. More than 11,000 people in the United States have already died of coronavirus – a higher death toll than any other country – and the pandemic is continuing to spread at a rapid rate.

But if the country is to be able to return to some form of normality, the reopening of Vegas casinos is going to be needed sooner rather than later.

How are casino customers getting their fix?

Naturally, with people forced to stay inside their homes because of the lockdown, online gambling has seen something of a boom in popularity during the last couple of weeks.

There are many live dealer casinos ready to fill the gap left by the closure of Vegas and these sites could be set to reap the rewards of the coronavirus crisis for many months to come. At a live dealer casino, players retain the social aspect of visiting a casino as they play their favourite games such as roulette and blackjack with other customers. The iDevelopment & Economic Association has also called for changes to the law that would allow more online casinos to open.

However, it could also be the case that online gambling drops if people begin to run out of money due to the continued economic impact of the pandemic, whose peak is thought to be approaching fast in America. Many people have lost their jobs – or been furloughed by firms – and it is not clear if or when they will be able to return to work as the virus continues to spread.

Vegas itself is also taking measures to stay open for businesses where it is possible to do so. Virtual tours of popular tourist attractions such as the Mob Museum and Neon Museum are available, while an online content hub has been created by the Cirque du Soleil as well. Wynn Las Vegas, one of the most popular casinos in the city, is posting behind-the-scenes videos on social media sites such as Twitter in order to try to keep customers engaged during the crisis.

There have been serious hardships for Vegas to recover from in the past. The city has already bounced back from the Great Recession, which was caused by the economic downturn from 2007 to 2009. It might take time, but few would bet against Vegas being able to recover again.

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