Closed casinos and job fairs
Nevada is steadily returning to normality following the COVID-19 pandemic, but that new normal is going to look slightly different with some of the state’s casinos failing to reopen.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced in May that all casinos could remove occupancy limits and social distancing measures from June 1. As a result, casinos on the Las Vegas Strip are now operating at full capacity.
several casinos remain closed across the rest of Nevada
As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, however, several casinos remain closed across the rest of Nevada. This includes Boyd Gaming’s Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Station Casinos’ properties across the Las Vegas Valley also still remain closed, having been that way now for more than a year.
In more promising news however, casino operators have upped a recruitment drive as they look to rebuild in the wake of the pandemic. Clark County officials are hosting a summer job fair which will feature more than 100 employers next month, while operators have also launched their own recruitment events.
A different landscape
The Las Vegas Review-Journal has highlighted how Nevada’s casino landscape has changed since the beginning of the pandemic. For instance, Boyd Gaming’s Main Street Station and Eastside Cannery properties last welcomed customers through their doors in March 2020. According to comments from Boyd last year, Main Street Station should reopen at some point in 2021.
Similarly, Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho owned by Station Casinos have failed to open again since the beginning of the pandemic. The operator has placed the licenses of both properties on hold for the rest of the year, meaning the casinos won’t be able to welcome customers again until June 2022 at the earliest.
According to LVRJ, the Palms casino in Southern Nevada has also remained closed. Its owner, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, has not provided any update on when it might take bets once more. The tribe purchased Palms from Red Rock Resorts for $650m in May.
In Northern Nevada meanwhile, Lakeside Inn and Casino and Harrah’s Reno both shut their doors for good last year. Caesars Entertainment announced plans to sell the latter to developer Chris Beavor for $50m in January 2020.
New casino jobs up for grabs
Nevada operators began a hiring drive earlier this year as visitors started to return to the gambling hub en masse. Now, government officials have removed all restrictions for casinos, those efforts have ramped up once again.
the event will feature representatives from major hotels and properties across the region
Next month, job seekers in Nevada can attend a recruitment fair hosted by Clark County officials which will feature more than 100 employers. Taking place on July 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the event will feature representatives from major casinos and other properties across the region.
In addition to government hosted events, operators have also taken it upon themselves to launch their own job fairs. On Monday, The STRAT hotel-casino in Las Vegas is hosting its own recruitment event in the hotel’s buffet area. The property is hiring for a number of positions.
Similarly, Station Casinos’ job fair began this week at three of its properties. On its website, the company said it is seeking table-game dealers, housekeepers, and more. The company also noted that employees would receive various benefits, such as free life insurance.