Gambling, but with smaller crowds
As many Las Vegas casinos ready themselves to reopen on Thursday, June 4, final preparations are underway to make sure the return of guests goes as smoothly as possible. On Monday, local news station KSNV got a tour of the Bellagio as one of the center pieces of the Strip gave viewers a look at the health and safety measures that have been put into place.
On the gaming floor, which is what visitors to this site are probably most interested in, every other electronic gaming machine such as slots and video poker will be turned off in an effort to keep gamblers separated as much as possible. Every other table game will also be closed.
At the table games that are open, plexiglass barriers have been installed where each person will stand. Only three players will be permitted per table. And while face masks are not required for guests walking around, they will be mandatory for those who step up to the craps and roulette tables to play. If a person does not have a mask, they will be given one.
“The health and safety of our employees and our guests is always first and foremost,” said MGM Resorts’ VP of Administration John Flynn. “But we do think if we do this together, we do it in a measured way moving forward, we think that we can get this right.”
Craps dice will be cleaned after each shooter. The dirtiest objects in the casino, chips, will be sanitized whenever they are exchanged at the cashier. Hand washing stations have also been installed across the casino floor.
Property amenities as touchless as possible
For guests who check-in to Bellagio’s hotel, room keys appear to be a thing of the past. Now, your smartphone is your room key (I’m glad I finally got a smartphone a few years ago). Guests will pull up an app and place their phone in front of the panel on the door where they would normally insert their room card. The door unlocks and while the handle still needs to be touched (bring a tissue, I guess), that’s it.
Similarly, the restaurants will have touchless menus that can be pulled up on a mobile device as well as a virtual waiting list. Both can be accessed by scanning a QR code found at the entrance of the restaurant.
Fewer tables will be open for diners and plexiglass barriers have been installed between booths.
As for the Bellagio’s famous Conservatory, visitors will not be allowed to just mull about however they would like. Instead, a more orderly line has been put in place with social distancing markers on the floor and photo-op spots labeled.
Protests won’t delay opening
In addition to the Bellagio, MGM Resorts International is opening MGM Grand and New York-New York on Thursday.
The company is still determined to reopen on schedule, despite the protests in the wake of the horrific murder of George Floyd my a Minneapolis police officer.
In letter to employees, MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle said “diversity is the soul of creativity and the heart of entertainment. There is no hospitality for hatred here and we will not accept it anywhere else.”
