MGM Resorts, Station, Caesars Get Waiver to Operate at 100%

MGM Resorts hotels and casinos, the Station Casinos and Caesars Entertainment resorts in Las Vegas also have joined a list of properties that have been allowed to resume operations at 100 percent with no need for social distancing requirements.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board approved a return to 100 percent occupancy and no social distancing on the gaming floors located inside MGM’s Las Vegas Strip properties. The properties that are allowed to operate at capacity are Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA Resort & Casino, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Park MGM, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino and Excalibur Hotel & Casino.

COVID-19 vaccinations central to reopening

The waiver only covers gaming floors, with COVID-19 protocols still in place in other areas. MGM has been able to start operating at 100 percent thanks largely to a COVID-19 vaccination drive implemented by the group.

A statement said the waiver was granted based on MGM Resorts' work to vaccinate its workforce and applies only to gaming floors. 

Current 80 percent occupancy restrictions and three-feet social distancing policies remain in effect outside of the gaming floors, including at restaurants, pools and other non-gaming areas and activities. MGM said additional health and safety protocols will continue, including applicable mask mandates, based on regulatory requirements and expert guidance.

MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle described the Nevada Gaming and Control Board’s decision to allow the company’s properties to resume operations at 100 percent as a “major milestone in Las Vegas' incredible recovery and a testament to the importance of vaccination in the effort to fully reopen our community.”

"We will continue working to vaccinate as many people as possible and remain vigilant with health and safety protocols designed to protect our employees, guests and community. This vital work must continue for us to defeat this virus, and MGM Resorts is committed to doing our part to get it done."

Other casinos granted waiver

Station Casinos have also received a waiver allowing their gaming floor occupancy to be 100 percent at all of its properties. The properties are; Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Boulder Station, Sunset Station and Santa Fe Station.

As with MGM, the vaccination drive against COVID-19 played a big role in the Nevada Gaming Control Board allowing Station Casinos to operate at 100 percent.

The company said since early April, Station Casinos opened vaccination centres across all its properties to assist members of staff, their families, the local communities and the gaming industry.

Furthermore, all nine of Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas properties were also allowed to operate their gaming floors at full capacity with no social distancing.

The properties that are allowed to operate their gaming areas at full capacity are Bally’s, Caesars Palace, The Cromwell, Flamingo, Harrah’s, The Linq, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood and Rio.

Caesars also set up a number of COVID-19 vaccination sites at its properties.

“The expansion to full capacity and the elimination of social distancing on our casino floors in Las Vegas is a result of our team members’ commitment to doing their part to put us all on the road to recovery. While this shift is encouraging, we understand that the battle is not yet won, and it is through a continued commitment to health and safety that Las Vegas can most quickly rebound,” CEO Tom Reeg said.

Other properties that have been allowed to resume operations at 100 percent include Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. Strat, Cosmopolitan and Silverton have also received approval.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board said it would only grant waivers to casinos’ operating restrictions if they took “measurable and material steps to vaccinate, and thereby, protect their workforce, visitors, and the community.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on the gaming industry. With the latest developments, there is a glimmer of hope for the industry which has taken some of the heaviest punches from the pandemic.

However, despite the pandemic, forecasts have shown that the U.S. casino industry could be on its way to growth. 

What is driving the growth is new technology, the live dealer option, the growth of online gambling and new casino bonuses.