Nevada casinos will decide closures on their own, gaming official says

Casinos in Nevada will continue to make their own decisions about whether to temporarily close because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tony Alamo, chairman of the state Gaming Commission, said today.

Gov. Steve Sisolak has also stopped short of ordering casinos to close, although Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International announced Sunday they would temporarily shutter their properties on the Las Vegas Strip.

“We’re following the science and (casino properties) are making individual decisions and following the science,” said Alamo, who is a medical doctor.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, has advised against gatherings of 50 or more people for eight weeks, and other states, including New Jersey, Maryland, Michigan and Illinois, have ordered casinos to close.

Other major entertainment events and venues have also closed, including amusement parks, college and professional sports games, ski resorts, concerts and plays.

A spokesman for the Strip’s other major casino operator, Caesars Entertainment, said today the company had no comment about whether it planned to suspend operations at its Las Vegas casinos.

Health officials have reported 35 cases of coronavirus and one related death in Clark County. At least one case was reported at a Strip resort after a New York woman attending a convention tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

“As long as people follow the science, all this will pass,” Alamo said.

“If people don’t follow the science, I can’t postulate on what will happen,” he said. “We’ve had pandemics in the past. This one is a little different, obviously, and a more aggressive stance has had to be taken worldwide. That’s what you’re seeing right now.”

Alamo said it was important for people to remain calm during one of the most disruptive — if not the most disruptive — periods in the history of the Nevada gaming industry.

“The advice I would give to all people is to be leaders, instill calm in everybody, follow the science and protect those at high risk,” he said.