Nevada Governor Orders Temporary Closure of Gambling Establishments

Fighting Covid-19 continues on the American soil and one of the busiest states in of gambling, Nevada has decided to put all activities on the Las Vegas Strip on hold. For the introduction of this measure is responsible nobody else but the governor himself, Steve Sisolak, who ordered on Tuesday morning a temporary closure of nonessential businesses, casinos, bars and restaurants across the territory of Nevada.

America’s iconic gambling epicenter will cease all activities for the next 30 days as an additional effort to fight the coronavirus pandemic. This decision is also based on the recent announcements from Roland-Garros and US Open, including other sports events around the world, which have been canceled or postponed to a later date.

Sisolak’s order to shut down all gaming devices in the state, such as slots, table games and video poker will hit the gaming industry hard but the fight against this invisible enemy, unfortunately, requires aggressive strategies and acts.

Top Las Vegas Casinos Already Closed

Among the casinos that had already Bellagio.

“My ultimate goal here is to come to gather as Nevadans to save lives. That requires aggressive strategies aimed at mitigating community spread. Medical professionals have made it abundantly clear that there is no treatment. While a vaccine is being developed, we don’t have time to waste. At this time, we must act aggressively and decisively to protect ourselves, our families and our community,” stated Sisolak.

To confirm the governor’s decision, it is worth noting that states across all of America have closed their gaming establishments, primarily in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Thanks to the Supreme Court’s ruling from May 2018 to overturn PASPA, sportsbooks are operating online but only in those states where such service is legal.

“This is not the time for casinos to remain open. If your business brings groups of people together, it should not be open,” Sisolak added.

Mobile Betting Still Available

Despite the resolution to close all gambling properties in the country, including Nevada as of Tuesday, March 17th mobile betting will still remain available during the shutdown. However, many major sports leagues have suspended play and there is but a few live events on oddsboards.

At this time of the year, Las Vegas would usually get ready for one of its busiest weeks, accommodating large numbers of basketball fans and players from the NCAA. Notwithstanding, the league has canceled the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments, while NBA, NHL and MLS discontinued the season, at least for the time being.

Major League Baseball, on the other hand, has officially postponed the start of its regular season indefinitely. This decision also refers to NASCAR and the PGA Tour.

“Did you ever think you’d see so many major casinos literally closing in Las Vegas? It’s unprecedented. Hopefully, we get to brighter days sooner rather than later,” said Joe Asher, CEO of America’s #1 sportsbook operator William Hill US.

Source:

“Nevada governor orders statewide closure of all casinos for 30 days”, David Purdum, espn.com, March 18, 2020.