Casinos preparing to reopen in June with new rules

STATELINE, Nev. - Casinos in Nevada are now allowed to open once their new protocol and guidance plans are approved by the state's Gaming Control Board. Since Governor Sisolak's reopening announcement, casino properties have been putting the social distancing and safety measures in place to once again welcome guests.

Hard Rock Lake Tahoe, Harrah's Tahoe, and MontBleu have all announced a June 4 opening date. Harveys Lake Tahoe will remain closed until their renovations are completed. Their parent company, Caesars Entertainment, had announced cities where they own more than one property reopening would become phased.

MontBleu is opening at 10:00 a.m., Hard Rock at 12:00 p.m. and Harrah's time hasn't been announced in their social media.

Harrah's Tahoe is also suspending fees for paid self-parking.

Things will look different when you walk into a casino. All casinos must meet the minimum below but aren't restricted from adding additional safety and cleaning measures.

The new rules:

A casino must provide for the availability of face masks or cloth face coverings for patrons and guests upon request. They should encourage patrons and guests to wear face masks or cloth face coverings while in public places on the property but they are not required.

A casino must ensure that the floor plan for gaming machines creates proper social distancing between patrons.

The casino should assign employees to focus on ensuring guests do not congregate in groups.

The casino must take the temperatures of hotel guests and patrons when they enter the property or have a medical professional on property at all times and then have guests complete a self-assessment of their medical condition.

Their submitted plans should also address the availability of hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes for patron use on the gaming floor.

Plans must limit the number of patrons based on the type of table game to ensure the proper distance between players by limiting the number of seats or betting positions per table, or licensees may submit alternative plans for approval by the Board. Their example suggests three players per blackjack table, six players per craps table, four players per roulette table, and four players per poker table.

In order to achieve the social distancing guidelines issued by federal, state, and local health authorities, plans must limit a property’s occupancy to no more than fifty percent of the occupancy limit assigned to each gaming area of the property by local building and fire codes.

A licensee that is a resort hotel must also provide a designated area within the resort where hotel guests may be tested for COVID-19, and where such hotel guests can safely wait for the test results.