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Nevada Casinos and Poker Rooms to Remain Closed Until May 1

As you’re likely already aware, nearly every casino in the United States is shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes all of Las Vegas. Casinos are hemorrhaging millions per day in operating fees with no income coming in. The exceptions are the handful that has some form of online gambling operating.

Casinos will have to wait a bit longer before reopening as Governor Steve Sisolak has issued a “Stay at Home” order for the state and has ordered casinos to remain closed until at least April 30, 2020. With the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to rise in the United States, it is unknown whether casinos will be able to open come May 1.

Governor Issues Stay at Home Order

On Wednesday, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a new “Stay at Home” order for the state. He explained, “Today’s ‘Stay at Home’ directive strengthens the imperative that Nevadans must not leave their homes for nonessential activities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

“This directive builds on previous directives around school closures, social distancing, closure of nonessential businesses, and bans on public gatherings of 10 or more people by requiring you stay at home unless leaving is absolutely necessary.”

Furthermore, the order extends closures of all nonessential businesses, including casinos the end of the month. This is in accordance with the latest recommendations from the government.

Casinos Bleeding Off Millions Daily

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas casinos are hemorrhaging million each day. MGM Resorts International is burning $14.4 million daily. Penn National is burning $6.4 million daily while Boyd Gaming is losing $3.2 million per day.

What casinos are losing in Vegas by the day due to coronavirus. #casino #lasvegas @boydgaming @MGMResortsIntl @GDENOfficial @redrockcasino pic.twitter.com/DNKbLMWcJl

— Joe D'Amico (@joedamicowins) March 24, 2020

Even smaller casinos like Red Rock Resorts and Golden Entertainment are losing over $1 million daily. Casinos are holding out hope that they will be able to reopen on May 1st and some are even taking reservations in anticipation of reopening.

Everything hinges on how quickly the spread of COVID-19 is contained. According to CNN, the United States has over 200,000 cases and it does not appear to be a significant slowing occurring.

According to government models, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people may die due to COVID-19. It seems somewhat unlikely that the virus will be contained in time for casinos to reopen in May.

WSOP Still Waiting Until May to Decide Fate of 2020 WSOP

While casinos are optimistic about what would be nothing short of a miracle at this point, World Series of Poker officials are proving to be even more optimistic. To this point, the WSOP has not announced plans to delay or cancel the 2020 World Series of Poker.

As poker venues are closing and poker events are being canceled or move online, the WSOP is still taking a wait and see approach. Officials have revealed that they are waiting until May to make a decision on the fate of the series.

Many expect the series to be canceled or delayed and some believe that a decision should have already been made. As the number of cases and deaths continue to rise, the lack of action by WSOP officials seems a bit irresponsible.

In the meantime, online poker has been booming worldwide, including in the United States. WSOP.com has been running online circuit events and they have proven extremely popular. Some have even suggested that the WSOP move the series online. While this will result in smaller fields, it would be an alternative to risking lives.

If you’re a poker player contemplating whether to plan a trip to the 2020 WSOP, we urge you to reconsider. The COVID-19 pandemic is not showing signs of slowing down, and will likely not slow down until the summer. The WSOP will be available next year, so the smart play is to stay home and play online poker.

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