Station Casinos Starts Testing Employees for COVID-19 in Anticipation of Reopening

Local gaming company Station Casinos started company-wide COVID-19 testing for all employees, as well as those at partner companies that have businesses inside the company’s casinos.

The company will pay for antigen and antibody COVID-19 tests that employees need to take before returning to work. Station Casinos started by testing employees at six casinos that will open first — Red Rock Casino in Summerlin, Green Valley Ranch and Sunset Station in Henderson, Santa Fe Station in Centennial, Boulder Station on the eastside, and Palace Station west of the Strip.

Six Wildfire properties will also open first.

Station Casinos says it will assess when Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, Texas Station, and the Palms will reopen. Employees at those properties were laid off, making up about 39 percent of the company’s workforce, according to CDC Gaming Reports. Station Casinos, the operating subsidiary of Red Rock Resorts, employed approximately 14,000 people at the end of January.

The company continues to pay full-time staff members through May 16. It says the company will pay health insurance premiums through September. Team members who are not being laid off will be paid through May 31.

Gov. Steve Sisolak closed all nonessential businesses including casinos on March 17, and on May 9, he allowed dine-in restaurants that are not in a casino to reopen for dine-in service with COViD-19 precautions in place. His new order remains in effect until May 30. If coronavirus cases continue to decline and hospital capacity to treat new cases continues to remain available, he may move into the next phase of reopening the state for business. In the past, he’s said that casinos may reopen in phase three or four of his plan. So far, there is no date released for casinos to reopen.

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