Starting Wednesday at midnight, employees whose positions require them to work inside with the public in Nevada’s largest county – including Las Vegas area casinos – will need to wear a mask while on the job. That’s after the Clark County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday at a special called meeting to act after the Southern Nevada Health District issued a larger-scale recommendation last week as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Masks will be required through at least Aug. 17 for all workers, including those who are fully vaccinated.

The mandate will not apply to customers or the general public in large gathering spaces, although there will be signs informing them SNHD recommends they also wear a mask. The seven commissioners received some passionate responses from the crowd in attendance during the three-hour meeting, and the majority vehemently opposed any requirement.

COVID cases in southern Nevada have risen about five-fold since late May, according to data from local and state health officials. That increase coincides with the state lifting COVID restrictions, which led to a significant increase in visitors to Las Vegas, and the emergence of the Delta variant, a strain highly more transmissible than the original COVID-19 virus.

That led the health district to issue its recommendation on Friday for everyone to don masks in crowded settings, including grocery stores, shopping malls, large gatherings, and casinos.

Mask Mandate Seen as Pre-Emptive Strike

Commissioners said they were also taking this step as a way to avoid additional measures that potentially would bring the region’s economic recovery to a screeching halt. Just before Friday’s SNHD recommendation, Los Angeles County health officials issued an advisory urging residents in the southern California area not to travel to Las Vegas because of the growing caseload.

While the elected officials agreed to take action on the mask mandate, several also talked about the need to get more residents to get vaccinated.

“That’s really what is going to change the trajectory of where we are,” Commissioner Justin Jones said.

Only 45.5 percent of Clark County’s eligible population has completed a vaccine regimen, according to state health data. That also shows only 55.7 percent of eligible residents have received an initial dose, far below the 70 percent goal President Biden set for the country earlier this year.

Vegas Business, Gaming Industry Back Measure

While most of those in attendance at the emergency meeting spoke opposed a mask requirement, the employee-only ordinance did have the public support of key business groups, including the Vegas Chamber and the Nevada Resort Association. The latter group represents the gaming industry in the state.

NRA President Virginia Valentine told the commissioners that several casino resorts achieved 80 percent or higher employee vaccination rates, which allowed those venues to go mask-free and end social distancing before the June 1 official reopening. However, she added the organization and its members would support the measure as long as the county provided clear guidelines and gave operators time to implement the requirements across their facilities.

The recommendations from the Southern Nevada Health District are important reminders that masks, after vaccinations, are the most effective tool we have in reducing spread and for protecting people who are not vaccinated so they can protect themselves and other people,” she said.

David Dazlich, government affairs director for the chamber, said that several of its members had already reinstated masks for its workers out of precaution.

Several Vegas casinos did so as well after the district issued its recommendation. That included Las Vegas Sands, which operates the Venetian and Palazzo casino resorts and The Sands Expo Convention Center.

Doctor: Masked Employees Set “Expectation” for Others

After an hour of taking public comments, the commissioners spoke with SNHD Chief Medical Officer Dr. Cort Lohff regarding what district officials saw that prompted them to issue their recommendation last week.

In his questioning of Dr. Lohff, Commissioner Ross Miller brought up the fact that a large sector of workers in the gaming industry agreed to get the shots back in the spring with the understanding that if they did, they would not need masks on the job.

“What’s the public health benefit to mandating – in the context where we have verified that they’re vaccinated – to requiring everyone to wear masks across the board?” Miller asked.

Lohff explained that “it’s just easier” for everyone to be required because “it’s hard to know if they’re actually vaccinated.”

Miller also said that he’s heard that maskless employees – at casinos and other public places – leads to customers and others not wearing them. Lohff concurred with that line of thinking.

“It creates some expectation that perhaps the customer should be wearing the mask as well,” Lohff said.

Jones wanted more than just an expectation. He successfully pushed for businesses to post signs saying the area health district recommends everyone should wear a mask.

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Clark County announced on Monday that the Board of Commissioners will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the significant rise in COVID-19 cases over recent weeks and the mask recommendation made Friday by the Southern Nevada Health District. It’s possible the board of elected officials that governs the Las Vegas area may impose an indoor mask mandate.

The Nevada Independent reported Monday that the commissioners are expected to consider such a move, although that action would be just for employees of Clark County businesses.

On Sunday, California’s Los Angeles County, whose health officer last week advised residents against traveling to Las Vegas, issued an indoor mask mandate for everyone in a public setting.

The Las Vegas region has become a hot spot for the Delta variant of the coronavirus, a strain more transmissible than the initial strain. More than 4,700 new COVID cases have been reported in Nevada’s largest county over the last seven days, according to the health district.

Based on the spread – the seven-day rolling average of new daily cases has risen from about 100 cases at the end of May to more than 550 on last Friday – area health officials issued a statement recommending for all people, including those vaccinated, to wear masks when in “crowded public settings” to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Vegas Casinos Likely to Support

Virginia Valentine, president of the Nevada Resort Association, told the online news site that she believes the group’s members, which includes casino resorts, would back that move if commissioners called for it.

We’re going to comply with it,” she said. “We think it’s an important step.”

Some Las Vegas casinos have already taken that step. Las Vegas Sands ordered its employees last Friday, after the SNHD recommendation, and The Westgate Resort and Casino took similar action as well.

The current spike in cases is not near the scope of either of the two COVID waves that hit the Las Vegas area previously. Back in early December, the seven-day rolling average topped 2,000 cases.

Despite those spikes, restrictions on Nevada’s gaming industry – the major economic engine for the state – have not regressed since the casinos began reopening on June 4, 2020.

Mask restrictions in Nevada began easing in mid-May. That’s when casino resorts started announcing fully vaccinated guests and employees could go mask-free. An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the second shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

On June 1, the state officially lifted all pandemic restrictions, but officials issued advice that unvaccinated individuals should continue wearing masks. That was based on a recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That recommendation went largely unheeded as crowds thronged to the Strip and other attractions.

Clark County COVID Vaccinations Lagging

While masks will likely be the focus of Tuesday’s discussions among commissioners, one statistic that many in the Vegas area see as key to ending the region’s hotspot status is the vaccination rate.

As of Sunday, that average was 4,858.

Since the start of the COVID vaccination program, nearly 1.9 million shots have been administered in Clark County. Nearly 1.1 million county residents age 12 or older have received at least one shot. That represents 55.6 percent of the 12-and-older population, the age group eligible to receive the vaccine.

Slightly more than 890,000 eligible county residents have completed their vaccine protocol, and that equates to 45.4 percent of the population.

Those numbers are now starting to mirror the statewide rates of 55.3 percent and 46.5 percent, respectively.

Casino Caveat?

There’s one thing to note, however. The Nevada Gaming Control Board allowed casinos to operate at full capacity in May, weeks before the state’s official reopening, if management verified that at least 80 percent of its workforce had been vaccinated. It’s an initiative that allowed Wynn Resorts, The Cosmopolitan, The Strat, MGM Resorts International, Station Casinos, and Caesars Entertainment to get to 100 percent gaming capacity earlier.

While an employees-only mask mandate may be effective at retail stores, restaurants, and other large public spaces, how effective will it truly be in a casino, where the ones masked are likely to be the same people vaccinated? Yes, vaccinated people can transmit the virus, but the CDC has noted that fully vaccinated people have a reduced risk of transmitting to the unvaccinated.

If Clark County commissioners follow through with the employee-only mask mandate and it does not do enough to stem the tide of cases, it could potentially force their hand to take that mandate to the next logical step.

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July 19 is a potentially date important in the relationship between MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) and Entain Plc (OTC:GMVHY) because that’s the first day the US casino behemoth can make another offer for its partner on the BetMGM venture.

In January, the Las Vegas-based gaming operator offered $11.06 billion for the British bookmaker, which the target ultimately rebuffed, calling it inadequate. After that all-equity bid was rejected, MGM said on Jan. 19 it wouldn’t raise the proposal, ending two weeks of speculation to that effect. Under UK law, the Bellagio operator was forbidden from making a fresh takeover pitch for six months. That freeze period expires on Monday.

While it’s not immediately clear if MGM is readying another run at Entain, it’s easy to understand why the former made an overture in the first place. The North American iGaming and online sports betting markets are on torrid growth paces and BetMGM is one of the fastest-growing operators in the space.

The business is growing at a phenomenal pace — in Q1 2021 revenues stood at $163m, representing growth of 430% when compared with Q1 2020 and 90 percent of revenues achieved in 2020 as a whole,” according to Entain. “This dramatic increase demonstrates the benefits of solid foundations, effective state rollout and the strength of our broad customer engagement approach through: omni-channel;, affiliates;, Mlife loyalty programme; and other channels combined with our and powerful and highly, effective marketing.”

Due to BetMGM’s structure, MGM only realizes half the economic benefits of the operation, something it could change with a takeover of Entain.

MGM Will Have to Up Bid

Earlier this year, there was talk MGM could boost its bid for Entain with one of the Mirage operator’s major investors saying it would provide financing to that effect.

MGM has total liquidity of $9.7 billion — good for one of the strongest war chests in the industry — so it could add a cash component to any revised Entain offer if it so chooses.

For MGM, Does Old Entain Love Die Hard?

Since MGM walked away from its courtship of Entain in January, rumors lingered regarding the Mandalay Bay operator returning with analysts speculating a revised bid could eventually come to fruition.

Should the two parties come to an agreement this time around, it could be interesting to see how the buyer deals with the Coral owner’s physical real estate and its exposure to mature sports wagering markets such as Australia and Europe.

Those aren’t regions in which MGM currently does business and the company has a well-known preference for an asset-light operating model.

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Online slots specialist NetEnt, now part of Evolution Group, this week rolled out the long-awaited and hugely-anticipated sequel of Starburst, one of the most popular online casino games ever released.

The new Starburst XXXtreme slot incorporates the much-loved and widely popular Starburst experience and turbo-powers it to a whole new dimension.

This celestial follow-up is rich in new features and additional functionality and through supreme graphics and accompanying sounds takes players to a space odyssey. The game’s high volatility and spectacular win potential additionally help it deliver one truly jaw-dropping online slot experience.

NetEnt launched its original Starburst title in 2012. The 5×3 game features ten paylines that pay out both ways. Its bonus features include expanding wilds and respins, among others.

Last year, NetEnt expanded the Starburst brand by launching the Starburst PowerPots Community Jackpot System. That new concept enables players to collect Starburst tokens across a number of NetEnt games for a chance to claim a share of a community jackpot.

It was in 2020 again when the slots developer teamed up with fellow iGaming content maker Gaming Realms in a deal that saw the latter license Starburst and create a new epic game that is also equipped with the Slingo mechanic.

Wilds of Starburst and Other Features

Just like its predecessor, Starburst XXXtreme is a 5×3 slot that also features the iconic Starburst Wilds. These symbols award re-spins, random multipliers, and randomly activated Random Wilds.

The new online slot debuts XXXtreme Spins, which players have the option of purchasing to guarantee Starburst Wilds. Activating this new feature costs 10 times the bet for one guaranteed Starburst Wild icon per spin and 95 times the bet for two guaranteed Starburst Wilds per spin.

It should be noted that Starburst Wilds award random multipliers of up to 150x. However, the overall multiplier can go even higher if more than one multiplier hops onto the reels during a spin or a respin.

Commenting on the latest addition to NetEnt’s already brimming suite of products, Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer at Evolution, said that Starburst XXXtreme is a “fun-focused addition to any gaming portfolio, with an easy-to-understand mechanic – and it brings a great legacy.”

Mr. Haushalter went on to note that everyone has heard the Starburst name as it has been a slot favorite for many years, and that they have been working hard to keep the game’s classic features that have made it so popular and incorporate these into an XXXtreme version that will appeal to the current and next generation of players.

The Evolution CPO further said that with Starburst XXXtreme there is a great blend between old and new and that they are looking forward to rolling this new title out in the market.

Source: NetEnt ready for lift off as it launches Starburst XXXtreme, NetEnt Newsroom, July 15, 2021

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The popular CES trade show highlighting advances in consumer technology will feature two new categories, space and food, when it returns to Las Vegas early next year.  

The space exhibits will showcase advanced technologies in communications, biology, and human health technologies, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Food innovations include advancements in meal kits, nutrition, and plant-based proteins.

Technology is propelling the space and food industries to new heights,” said Karen Chupka, the Consumer Technology Association’s executive vice president.

The Jan. 5-8 show is set to take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center and at hotel-casino convention sites on the Strip. The CES locations on the Strip will include the Sands Expo & Convention Center and conventions centers at the Aria and Mandalay Bay. The Convention Center is east of the Strip.

The show next year also will highlight advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics, and more.

The Arlington, Va.-based Consumer Technology Association’s event formerly was called the “Consumer Electronics Show.” On its website, the CTA urges people not to refer to it by that former name.

The trade show has been held in Las Vegas for more than 40 years. The 2021 CES show was an online-only event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Conventioneers Fill Hotel Rooms

Conventions such as the CES show as seen as vital to Las Vegas’ long-term economic recovery. These events bring large numbers of people to the Las Vegas Valley, helping fill the city’s thousands of hotel rooms, especially during the slower middle of the week.

During the coronavirus pandemic last year, conventions were nonexistent, contributing to a deep slump in the Las Vegas economy. At one point during the pandemic last year, Las Vegas led the nation with a 34.2 percent jobless rate, according to the Wall Street Journal. Several major resorts on the Strip closed their hotel towers because of low consumer demand.

Chandra Allison, senior vice president of sales at the Venetian Resort, told the newspaper earlier this year that getting events and meetings such as CES to return to Southern Nevada is “paramount to the city’s economy.”

 LVCVA OK’s Ad Contract

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority this week took steps to help promote the city globally and tap into the public’s pent-up urge to travel.

The tourism agency this week approved a $500 million contract to retain its longtime advertising and marking firm, Las Vegas-based R&R partners. A New York-based agency also was brought in to help with the promotional effort.

The LVCVA this week also approved a 4 percent pay raise for CEO and President Steve Hill, bringing his salary to $397,590. 

One of Hill’s tasks for the 2022 fiscal year is to help develop solutions to the I-15 traffic jams that frustrate visitors returning to Southern California. 

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