Coronavirus has officially shut down the Wynn and MGM properties in Las Vegas after Sin City saw their infection rate spike over the weekend. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the major casinos and card rooms closed including Commerce and the Bike. Not all casinos in America or around the world are closed, but major ones on the West Coast took drastic measures during the pandemic.
On Saturday, several Los Angeles area casinos and card rooms agreed to finally close their doors and kick out all of the gamblers. Governor Gavin Newsome banned public gatherings over 250 people last week, but gamblers still kept gambling through the weekend. But the major card rooms will finally close including Commerce, Hawaiian Gardens, the Bike, and Hollywood Park. Pechanga and San Manuel Casinos in SoCal also announced closures through the end of March.
On Sunday, the MGM and Wynn in Las Vegas finally made a command decision to shutter its doors and send home their employees and all gamblers for an indefinite time during the coronavirus pandemic. After all, they had their own employees to think about. The dealers, floor people, pit bosses, cashiers and security guards were on the front lines of the coronavirus invasion, while gamblers continued to gamble it up and risk potential death.
One casino worker at Commerce Casino apparently tested positive for Coronavirus.
Degens gonna degen. So long as a casino or poker room is open, someone who has the "sickness" (and I'm not talking about COVID-19) is willing to play in the face of peril. Even during a widespread pandemic, you'll find a slew of gamblers chugging along. Ignorance is bliss. Either they know and don't care, or they're completely oblivious to news of the real world infiltrating their gambling bubbles.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed during this unprecedented public health crisis and casinos locked their doors, otherwise gamblers would still want to roll that dice, or see another hand of black jack, or mash those buttons one more time... and again... and again.
Then again, if it really is the end of the world as we know it, should you go out with a bang and gamble away? Ah, but there's public health and safety to think about. Especially those poor dealers who are on the front lines every day while the fat cat suits are hiding in their bougie Armageddon bunkers while they profit off problem gamblers losing their shirts during the worst pandemic in North America since the Spanish Flu of 1918.
Daniel Negreanu called on all US-based casinos to shut their doors. Everyone who has ever played poker knows that poker rooms are disgusting petri dishes of filth and germs. Who knows when the last time your local card room cleaned their chips. Don't even get me started about slovenly poker players and the poor hygiene that is commonplace among the blasé pokerati.
Even Bobby Bellande got into the act and pleaded for Vegas casinos to close up. After all, gamblers are often their biggest threat to themselves and it's up for wiser folks to step in during truly dangerous situations.
The MGM Grand and its dozen properties they own on the Strip will also shut down.
The Wynn and Encore will officially close on Tuesday, March 17 at 6pm. Time to get that last St. Patty's Day celebration in and risk infection at the tables to get your last fix!
So, now that casinos in Las Vegas and LA are closed, everyone is supposed to go home and chill out for a couple of weeks and hope the US can flatten their infection curve and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Thankfully, many of you have online gambling and online poker options to get you through the craziness. Good luck and make sure you wash your hands.
