• +26 Casino Reviews
  • 100% Verified
  • +28 Games Reviews

Face Mask Wearing Compliance Still Low in Nevada, Says Governor

  • Written By Kevin Parker
  • Edited
  • Reading 5 minutes

In a bid to ensure the safety of Nevada residents, health authorities and the Nevada’s Division of Industrial Relations Occupation Safety and Health Administration conducted field observations on 921 businesses. The Nevada DIR is seeking to establish the level of compliance with Gov. Steve Sisolak order for mandatory wearing of face masks in public and closed spaces.

The surveys established that some 84% of all businesses in Northern Nevada have complied with the measure. Meanwhile, the number fell drastically to 66% in Southern Nevada. The discrepancy in compliance rates has been explained by the more rural region and less populated areas.

However, the average compliance rate across the state is now sitting at 71%. Meanwhile, Gov Steve Sisolak commented that the compliance rate was still unacceptably low. He said the same about another report conducted by OSHA last Friday, when the compliance rate was only 49%.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Gave the Go-Ahead to Casinos Reopening

After several weeks of negotiations and the decision of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to introduce the strictest safety measures in the state for casinos, gambling venues may begin to reopen while observing the newly-issued health recommendations and standards.

MGM Springfield has announced that it will be reopening early next week on Monday, July 13. However, not all workers will return to the casino immediately. MGM Springfield currently employs 2,500 people who have been furloughed since mid-March when the state ordered all casinos to shut down.

The casinos will return in a limited format too. Food and drinks will be available under specific conditions and that venues will host a limited number of people. Much like elsewhere in the state, roulette, poker, and craps table will be suspended to eliminate the risk of further infections.

Miami’s Churchill Downs Casino in Florida Closes Down

Last Friday, Miami’s Churchill Downs Casino in Miami, Florida, had to suspend operations, only three weeks after officially restarting. The reason for the closure was a new case of COVID-19 cases in the area.

The company confirmed the stoppage of operation on Monday and complying with Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez who had issued an emergency order. Elsewhere, Churchill Downs restarted the Rivers Des Plaines in Des Plaines, Illinois, which the company operates together with Rush Street Gaming as a joint venture.

Arizona Gives Go Ahead to Casinos, Including Poker Rooms

While the incidence of infection rates in Arizona has been going up, the state’s casinos seem unperturbed and will proceed with restarting operations, including poker rooms. However, anyone willing to gain entry in Arizona’s newly reopened card rooms will have to undergo and comply with strict checks and measure.

Thermo cameras will now observe body temperature and anyone with 100.4 or above will be denied access or escorted out of the venue. Every patron must wear face mask and possibly gloves to minimize the risk of spreading the infection. Visitors have been similarly asked to comply with social distancing measures, with 23 tables out of 46 total reopened to help patrons keep social distance.

New York Governor Insists on Keeping Casinos Closed

With New York facing problems of its own, Governor Andrew Cuomo has ordered all casinos and theaters to remain shut while the state is dealing with some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 patients in the country and riots continue in the streets.

While initially there was a sort of unconfirmed readiness to restart operations, the uptick in new cases has prompted health authorities and the governor’s office to reconsider the restart of specific businesses. Concluding that any business that gathers people together are all-in-all considered non-essential.

Cuomo has outlined no possible date for reopening the casino industry, with officials noting that things may return back to normal once the COVID-19 outbreak has been brought under control. Lack of compliance, however, has made it difficult for state authorities to give an exact estimate of reopening casinos and other non-essential business.

Penn National Signs with Sportradar for NFL Data Access

Penn National will be able to tap into live NFL data thanks to a recent partnership with Sportradar, the company announced. The data will be used in the Barstool sports venture once it becomes available.

As per the partnership, the casino operator will be able to feed bettors various in-game wagering options on NFL games at retail sports betting venue as well as the dedicated Barstool Sportsbook app. 

Penn National previously bought a 36% stake in Barstool back in January coughing up $163 million to complete just part of the deal valued at $450 million altogether. Penn CEO Jay Snowden welcomed the deal at the time, arguing that Penn would be able to garner new audiences within the Millennial and Generation X audiences.

Nevada Gaming Control Board Approves Caesars-Eldorado Merger

With an important week brewing for Eldorado and Caesars and the company’s long-in-the-making merger, the NGCB has officially approved the move. This will allow the two companies to bring their operations together under the same roof.

Nevada was one of the three states that had to approve the deal, which happened on Wednesday, July 8. Commenting on the approved deal, Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan said that the move would result in the new domestic leader in the gaming market.

Eldorado will also use the move to consolidate its footprint in Las Vegas after it has completed the acquisition of eight Caesars’ Strip properties. Presently, Eldorado carries $3 billion in debt, but this amount will increase to at least $13 billion once the merger is concluded.

While the company seems poised to cope, it would also have to pay leased venues to Gaming and Leisure Properties and VICI Properties, which raises the expected debt total to $25 billion, an amount that the company would have to start tackling down as quickly as it can.

Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino to Shut Down Table Games Briefly

Because of registered cases of COVID-19, the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino will shut down its table games temporarily on Tuesday.

Kevin was raised on sports since a young teen and following a (fortunate) injury pursued new hobbies in table games such as Blackjack and Poker. Since 2009 Kevin has been writing for casino sites for various big names in the industry and CasinoSites.us is but one of his latest passion projects.