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Video. Las Vegas casinos reopen after coronavirus closure

The coronavirus casino closure is ending, with cards to be dealt, dice to roll and slot jackpots to win, starting Thursday in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada.

The coronavirus casino closure is ending, with cards to be dealt, dice to roll and slot jackpots to win, starting Thursday in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada.

Hotel-casinos in suburban areas planned to be first to open at 12:01 a.m. followed later in the morning by a restart of the iconic Bellagio fountain and reopenings of many neighbouring resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

Not all properties are open today as casino companies gradually bring back their brands. MGM Resorts International, for instance, is only opening Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York-New York and Signature this week. Excalibur will follow June 11. And Caesars Entertainment is bringing back Caesars Palace, Flamingo and Harrah’s.

Each property’s reopening plan had to be approved by the Gaming Control Board. The plans included enhanced safety standards, such as limiting the number of players at table games, sanitation stations at every turn, and thermal scans for employees and guests before entering the property. A fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19.

There are big hopes for recovery as officials balance health concerns against the economic loss of billions of dollars per month in gambling revenue and unemployment that topped 28% during April.