Nevada Gaming Control Board working on casino reopening plan

Following directions issued Tuesday by Gov. Steve Sisolak, the Nevada Gaming Control Board is developing a plan to reopen Nevada’s gambling facilities after the closure due to COVID-19.

To that end, the Board has released a document to outline suggested procedures to be put in place when gaming operations are allowed to resume, though there are no specifics yet on when casinos might reopen.

According to the regulators, the document includes a list of procedures "that should, at a minimum, be considered and addressed."

“The Gaming Control Board is committed to the safe reopening of Nevada’s gaming industry, and will assist licensees where needed to reopen as efficiently as possible while complying with applicable gaming statutes, regulations, and policies,” Chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan said in the statement. “A safe, thoughtful, and efficient resumption of gaming operations in this State will help both Nevada and its residents recover from this pandemic.”

As stated in the document, a reopening plan must be established and submitted to regulators at least seven days before reopening occurs "or as soon as reasonably possible thereafter."

Casinos must list a reopening date and time, as well as, identifying the gaming, entertainment and club venue areas that will be reopened and which will remain closed, the document says. If a resort plans to reopen in phases, they must list the anticipated reopening dates and times for each area.  

The document notes that payout receipts and wagering vouchers may have expired during the closure. As a result, according to regulators, "licensees must take measures to pay these liabilities or extend the expiration date for such liabilities to accommodate the period the property was closed."

Regulators note that licensees and club venue operators must be in full compliance with all applicable surveillance standards. Prior to the commencement of live gaming, camera coverage should be checked by licensees to ensure proper functioning. 

According to regulators, upon reopening, licensees and club venue operators will be responsible for reviewing the list of expired gaming employee registrations. "Employees whose gaming registrations have expired during the closure may work for up to 30 days while they renew their registrations. The Enforcement Division will not take any regulatory action against licensees for expired gaming registrations, as long as all applicable renewal applications are submitted via the Board’s online registration system within 30 days of the reopening date," the document notes.

According to regulators, club venues under the Gaming Control Board's authority will be allowed to reopen in compliance with any directive or guidance issued by the governor's office and state and local health officials.

The Board says that any registered club venue employee whose registration expired during the closure will be allowed to work for up to 30 days after resumption of operations while they renew their application.

Agents from the Nevada Gaming Control Board may be present to observe "some or all of these procedures," the document says.

Sisolak on Tuesday said schools would remain closed for the remainder of the school year and said they would begin to develop a timeline to pen other businesses. The plan is being implemented with input from a variety of sources, including the White House.

“Saving lives has priority,” Sisolak said.