{"id":135197,"date":"2020-05-08T03:33:59","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T10:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=135197"},"modified":"2020-05-08T10:34:16","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T17:34:16","slug":"nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/","title":{"rendered":"Nevada Gaming Commission Approves Casino Reopening Policies, Advocates Demand More Precautions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday unanimously okayed reopening policies for the state\u2019s gaming venues despite pleas to extend the safeguards for player and worker safety, given the risk from coronavirus.<\/p>\n

\"Nevada
Nevada Gaming Commission Acting Chairman John Moran was among the commissioners Thursday who approved policies for the eventual reopening of the state’s casinos. (Image: KLAS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Commissioners thanked concerned individuals for their suggestions that were read into the record before the votes. But the officials said the over-arching reopening policies can be added to by individual gaming properties or casino companies when submitting their plans.<\/p>\n

Among the letters was one from Alan Feldman, Distinguished Fellow at UNLV\u2019s International Gaming Institute, who formerly was an executive at MGM Resorts International. He raised concerns about problem gambling not being sufficiently discussed in the policies.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that people were in isolation while complying with stay-at-home orders. Many are unemployed. Some have lost close friends or relatives from the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Gambling may become an \u201cescape\u201d or a way to replace lost income, Feldman said. He wanted to see relevant \u201cguidance\u201d in the policies.<\/p>\n

\n

Carol O\u2019Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, additionally urged the commission to include language that would review current state policies on problem gambling, given that many people prone to excessive gaming are now \u201chighly vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

She also wanted to see messages from casinos urging responsible gaming. In addition, casinos should identify employees who are assigned responsible gaming duties, especially given that layoffs and reassignments took place at gaming venues, O\u2019Hare said.<\/p>\n

Time for Smoking Ban at Gaming Properties<\/h2>\n

Other people wanted to see a smoking ban at casinos. Jennifer Pearson, an assistant professor at the School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, warned that smoking will increase the transmission of COVID-19. Casino players and guests would have to remove any face masks they could be wearing when they smoke.<\/p>\n

Overall, people who smoke can be at higher risk for complications from coronavirus, smoke-free advocates told the commission.<\/p>\n

The Culinary Union<\/a> and some of its members further wanted to see increased safeguards to encourage worker and guest safety at casinos.\u00a0The union also wants the casinos to make their individual reopening plans available to the public.<\/p>\n

On another front, John O\u2019Reilly, a Las Vegas attorney who formerly was a chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, advocated that current commissioners consider the use of national \u201cbest practices\u201d rather than requirements on casinos in the policies. He asked, too, if there will be disciplinary action against gaming properties for violating the policies.<\/p>\n

Another issue he raised is whether the policies could lead to tort claims in courts against casinos. He also questioned how long the policies will be in effect.<\/p>\n

In response to the concerns, Nevada Gaming Commission Acting Chairman John Moran, who is an attorney in the state, acknowledged letters which raised concerns about safety.<\/p>\n

All of us are on the same page on that,\u201d Moran said about safety issues. The policies, he added, are \u201cnot chiseled in granite.\u201d They can be \u201crevised and modified.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another commissioner, Deborah J. Fuetsch, said reopening of casinos will be a \u201cslow\u201d process.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur situation is fluid,\u201d Fuetsch added. \u201cI\u2019m absolutely in favor of moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioner Steven B. Cohen said the gambling sector and the entire state faces an \u201cevolving situation,\u201d given the pandemic, so the policies can be updated as the situation changes. \u201cI\u2019m really sure these are going to change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Commission Policies Subject to Change<\/h2>\n

Sandra Douglass Morgan, chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board — which proposed the policies — also responded to concerns from letter writers. She said that some gaming properties will submit additional regulations in their reopening plans. She explained the commission document included \u201cuniversal\u201d policies for operations, ranging from small casinos to large venues.<\/p>\n

Policies will be \u201csubject to change,\u201d Morgan said. She noted that health and other recommendations may evolve on the local, state, and federal levels.<\/p>\n

Morgan added that in the policies, the board tried to offer \u201cexamples\u201d and attempted not to be \u201ctoo prescriptive.\u201d One example is how the policy for large casinos recommends only three players at a blackjack table<\/a>, four players at a roulette or poker table, and six players at a craps table.<\/p>\n

Other parts of the policies deal with social distancing, disinfecting, and reduced number of guests at casinos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday unanimously okayed reopening policies for the state\u2019s gaming venues despite pleas to extend the safeguards for player and worker safety, given the risk from coronavirus. Commissioners thanked concerned individuals for their suggestions that were read into the record before the votes. But the officials said the over-arching reopening policies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":135198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13592],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNevada Gaming Commission Approves Casino Reopening Policies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Nevada Gaming Commission Thursday unanimously okayed reopening policies for the state\u2019s gaming venues. 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Members of the public wanted more precautions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-08T10:33:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-08T17:34:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/John-Moran.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1199\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"672\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@casinoorgedsilv\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/\",\"name\":\"Nevada Gaming Commission Approves Casino Reopening Policies\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/nevada-gaming-commission-approves-casino-reopening-policies-advocates-demand-more-precautions\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/John-Moran.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-08T10:33:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-08T17:34:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b3771b02527bcbda9af984b9b1ff098e\"},\"description\":\"The Nevada Gaming Commission Thursday unanimously okayed reopening policies for the state\u2019s gaming venues. 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