The global outbreak of COVID-19 caught everyone off guard. In March of the year 2020, as the unique virus began to spread over the world, all terrestrial events were canceled. The Las Vegas shows were just like any other.
When the casinos reopened in the summer of 2020, masks were just one of several measures patrons were required to take for their own health. Since then, the advice people should follow to safeguard themselves from COVID-19 has been constantly shifting.
By June 2021, as US vaccination rates rose, several health restrictions on the gaming floors in Sin City were lifted. Twelve of Nevada’s seventeen counties made masks mandatory again in late July 2021 due to an emergency directive passed by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, was one of these areas.
Now, during a recent press appearance, Sisolak reaffirmed the mask requirement through his policy adviser Duane Young. According to Young, this strategy will be in effect through the holiday season and into the new year, regardless of how many individuals get vaccinated. This decision was made in response to the rapid spread of the most recent COVID-19 strain, Omicron, which has its origins in South Africa.
How Does Las Vegas Manage Its Public Health? Now
The last two years, health regulations have been a major headache for the hospitality sector. As was previously mentioned, the July decree required non-participants in large-scale gatherings to wear masks at all times. That’s in accordance with CDC recommendations that everyone at a casino be required to cover their faces at all times.
What exactly are big parties or conventions? They are completely vaccinated indoor gatherings of more over 4000 individuals. This regulation is laid forth in detail in the Nevada Guidelines for Safe Gatherings. However, each state venue is free to establish its own health and safety standards, and many already do.
MGM Grand Resorts, for instance, was the first Las Vegas-based firm to require its staff to undergo vaccination. That regulation has since been adopted by the majority of casinos. Most people have also begun using the Sharecare model. Sharecare is a health and wellness information provider headquartered in Atlanta.
Many Las Vegas hotels have adopted the COVID-19 protocol, a set of more than 360 health security standards, to ensure the safety and comfort of their guests. All customers will be strongly discouraged from touching cards, periodic disinfecting of gaming equipment and tables will be implemented, and mask distribution will be made available at no cost.
Is the Omicron Derivative Good for Online Gambling?
After the first round of “stay at home” restrictions were implemented and brick-and-mortar casinos started closing their doors, online casinos saw a huge influx of new customers. Only four US states at the time permitted online casino-style gambling. All of them saw an increase in earnings as the epidemic prompted more people to play mobile slot machines.
Revenues from online casinos in Delaware surged by a whopping 66 percent in April 2020, while those in New Jersey grew by 23 percent. Around $500 million was wagered virtually in Pennsylvania in March of that year.
It appears that the habits developed in 2020 have persisted into 2021. This is demonstrated by the fact that in a single year (2021), Pennsylvania and New Jersey will earn more than a billion dollars in gross gaming earnings from online casinos.
Due to the widespread belief among industry professionals that the Omicron model will reduce casino foot visitation, we can now anticipate an unprecedented increase in the volume of wagers placed at online casinos in the years 2020 and 2021.