In Casinos Open
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gamblers could see new casinos in Omaha and Lincoln by this time next year now that voters have ended Nebraska’s longtime ban on the industry, a leading supporter said Wednesday.
Lance Morgan, the president and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., said the corporation plans to spend $300 million to add casinos at existing horse-racing tracks in both cities and South Sioux City. The South Sioux City project could take longer because it isn’t as developed as the other sites.
The casino will remain open 'on a limited basis and it continues to exceed all CDC safety requirements,' the statement said, adding that team members are tested for COVID-19 every two weeks and that they wear 'digital devices that ensure social distancing.' The statement also said casino. Casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City. It is these land-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos. The COVID-19 pandemic closed all commercial and tribal casino properties in the United States. This map tracks reopening across the country at the property-level. A property is considered open. Agua Caliente Casinos in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Cathedral City are open! Guests are required to wear a face-covering and face-coverings are available upon request upon entry. Casino capacity: We are operating at 50 percent capacity to ensure social distancing measures.
Ho-Chunk is the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.
“We want to come out swinging with a high-quality, competitive product,” Morgan said in an interview. “We’re not going to slow down. We’re going to press down on the gas a little bit.”
Morgan said casino backers and the state’s horse racing industry want to open casinos as soon as possible and then expand them to include restaurants, hotels and other amenities.
Roughly two-thirds of voters approved three constitutional amendments Tuesday to legalize casinos at Nebraska’s six licensed horse racing tracks, regulate the industry and devote some of the money to a tax credit for property owners.
Gambling measures won big at the polls on Tuesday, with three states authorizing legal sports betting and three others either approving or expanding casino gambling.
Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana approved sports betting. Similar to Nebraska, Virginia approved casino gambling in four locations and Colorado expanded the number and type of casino games it can offer.
Morgan said Ho-Chunk should be able to open Nebraska’s casinos fairly quickly, although any plans would still require approval from state regulators, which could slow down the process. In 2018, voters chose to expand Medicaid in Nebraska, but the program wasn’t implemented until 18 months later.
The gambling measures faced stiff opposition from Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who donated at least $250,000 of his own money to a newly formed anti-casino group.
In a statement, Ricketts said: “I have tasked my team with reviewing the ballot initiative and to ascertain next steps. Nebraska will respect the will of the people and the decision they made on Election Day.”
The casino ballot campaign also faced criticism from former Gov. Kay Orr, former Nebraska football coach and athletic director Tom Osborne and other high-profile conservatives. Ho-Chunk Inc. spent millions on a petition drive, advertising and legal services to defend the ballot initiative against a lawsuit.
Gambling opponents said they were disappointed but not surprised by the loss, given the amount of money spent on pro-casino television ads. They said they expect casino projects to sprout up quickly, but didn’t rule out a lawsuit to try to stop them.
“We got clobbered,” said Pat Loontjer, executive director of the anti-casino group Gambling With The Good Life. “It wouldn’t surprise me if they started construction today.”
Some voters interviewed on Tuesday said they supported the gambling measures because the industry already has casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Nebraska border. Iowa receives millions of dollars each year from Nebraska gamblers who cross the Missouri River.
“I supported those to help out with taxes so our money is not going across the border to Iowa for their gambling,” said Adam Byrd, a 29-year-old semi truck driver from Omaha.
But Christine Reisser, a 56-year-old retired teacher from Omaha, said she voted against the measures because of its potential impact on families.
“I think it is an erosion of a lot of breadwinners,” she said.
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Associated Press reporter Josh Funk contributed from Omaha.
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On Sunday evening, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolakannounced new capacity limits and restrictions to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
Sisolak did not order a complete shutdown of nonessential businesses, including casinos, as he did earlier this year. Rather, he emphasized the significance of keeping them open.
“My goal is to aggressively try to attack this spread while maintaining some portion of our economy and our daily life.”
The new restrictions will begin Tuesday, a day after the governor introduces an emergency directive. Sisolak and his team will monitor the spread of coronavirus in Nevada over the next three weeks. After this period, he could extend, amend or end the new restrictions for businesses, residents and visitors.
New casino restrictions for Nevada casinos
The new restrictions will reduce capacity in most venues, limit public gatherings, and increase mask use. The attempted return to normalcy for casinos will be slowed down but not stopped entirely.
Nevada currently stands as a red zone for this global pandemic. During his press conference, Sisolak repeatedly stated that the virus is spreading like wildfire, noting that 24% of all COVID-19 cases in the Silver State arose in November.
That said, casinos — already slow during weekdays — will not undergo many changes.
Properties will reduce their respective capacities from 50% to 25% of legal occupancy. Once again, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will implement and enforce these requirements. This will be the first major task for new chairmanJ. Brin Gibson.
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Sisolak said that casinos that do not comply with the capacity limits will suffer consequences. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the NGCB has acted on only nine complaints against casino licensees since late July.
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The governor has already spoken with most casino operators about the new restrictions.
'We are aware of the governor’s new restrictions, effective Tuesday and in place for three weeks, and are immediately working to adjust our operations to comply,' @MGMResortsIntl said Sunday following @GovSisolak's decision to reduce casino capacity to 25% @GamblingComp
— Chris Sieroty (@sierotyfeatures) November 23, 2020
Restaurants and shows at Nevada casinos also affected
Everyone in Nevada must now wear a face covering at all times, including outside. Sisolak encourages everyone to keep a mask on even while eating and drinking. Masks should only be removed while taking a bite or a drink.
Restaurants, including those in casinos, will also reduce capacity limits from 50% to 25%. All indoor dining will require a reservation. There will also be a limit to how many people can dine together. For at least the next three weeks, no more than four people can sit at the same table.
Shows recently started to return to casinos, but some might not remain open with the new restrictions. Like casinos and restaurants, the capacity for shows will decrease from 50% to 25%. The new directive reduces the total capacity of public gatherings from 250 to 50 people.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM Resortswill shut down shows during the three-week period. Caesars Entertainment is looking for a way to keep its shows running. An outside vendor operates “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, which will continue with performances.
What about hotels in Nevada?
The new capacity restrictions shouldn’t have much of an effect on casinos Monday through Thursday. The hotels at the following casinos are already closed due to low midweek demand:
- Encore
- The Linq
- Mandalay Bay (Four Season and Delano are open)
- The Mirage
- The Palazzo
- Park MGM (NoMad is open)
- Planet Hollywood
Without live entertainment or conventions, more midweek closures could occur regardless of the new capacity restrictions.
The weekends are another story. During its most recent earnings call, Caesars touted having 90% capacity in its Las Vegas hotels during the weekend. The new capacity limits could decrease how many hotel rooms casino operators can sell.
Having a high weekend hotel occupancy is possible because hotel rooms are only part of the overall building capacity. Casinos can track overall capacity with surveillance and accounting systems already in place. The NGCB will keep tabs to ensure the new restrictions are being followed.
No coronavirus shutdown yet in Nevada
Sisolak ordered Nevada casinos to close in mid-March to help slow the spread of coronavirus. They were allowed to reopenJune 4, but the impact of those closures on the Nevada economy will last for years.
The new restrictions go into place so that Nevada doesn’t have to shut down all nonessential businesses again. That said, the first shutdown did help to reduce the number of coronavirus cases in the Silver State.
If the new restrictions don’t help slow the spread of coronavirus over the next three weeks, it’s possible that Nevada casinos and other nonessential businesses could see another shutdown before the year is over.