Nevada Gaming Board adapts policy regarding masks for casino guests

18 June 2020

By Gary Trask

It’s time to "mask up" in Las Vegas.

Less than two weeks after the much-anticipated grand reopening of casinos in Nevada, the state’s gaming board updated its “Health and Safety Policies for the Resumption of Gaming Operations” on Wednesday, making “optional” or “suggested” masks for players a thing of the past.

The policy now “requires” casino guests to wear “face coverings” at table and card games “if there is no barrier, partition, or shield between the dealer and each player.” The requirement applies to “table and card game players, spectators, and any other person within 6 feet of any table or card game.”

We know from the latest recommendations from the CDC that large gatherings carry a greater risk & that wearing a face covering in gatherings helps reduce the risk. Please, also try to maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing & practice proper hand hygiene.

— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) June 16, 2020

Additionally, appropriate personal protective equipment may be required or recommended by federal, state, or local authorities and “when required or recommended,” licensees must ensure that PPE is “utilized by employees and provide training on how to properly use and dispose of all PPE.”

Operators must also “provide for the availability of face masks or cloth face coverings” for their guests “upon request.”

“Upon entering the gaming establishment, licensees must offer all patrons and guests a face covering or have dedicated signage throughout the establishment notifying patrons that face coverings are available,” the policy states.

Nevada casinos received the green light to reopen on 4 June following an unprecedented 78-day closure due to COVID-19. Before resuming operations, gaming properties were required to follow new guidelines created by the Nevada Control Board, including 50% capacity, reduced number of slot machines, and fewer seats at gaming tables, such as three players per blackjack table and five players per poker table.

As of this morning, 65% of Nevada gaming properties have reopened, according to a new free web app at GamingDirectory.com/COVID-19/ that shows complete details on more than 2,000 casino and gaming property closings and 1,000 reopenings.