Caesars Palace, Flamingo Debut First When Casinos Are Allowed to Reopen in Nevada

When Nevada allows casinos to reopen, Caesars Entertainment Corp. says that Caesars Palace and the Flamingo will open first, followed by Harrah’s and the Linq, depending on tourist demand.

Some retail and dining outlets along the Linq Promenade, as well as the High Roller Observation Wheel, will reopen as well. For now, the company doesn’t plan to charge for self-parking.

Caesars Palace and the Flamingo will offer restaurants, hotel rooms, and access to outdoor pools, as well as gaming, including table games and slots, but buffets, spas, live entertainment, bars, and valet parking will not resume immediately.

Caesars plans to follow the guidelines from the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Gov. Steve Sisolak pertaining to social distancing, testing employees for COVIID-19, and cleaning, as well as the its own guidelines.

“Reopening Las Vegas in a phased approach will be a significant milestone for Caesars Entertainment as the country continues to emerge from this necessary closure period,” CEO of Caesars Entertainment Tony Rodio says in a press statement. “We are excited to welcome guests and our employees back to our properties. We are grateful for the efforts of those on the front lines addressing this public health emergency. We are hopeful that the country’s continued progress in addressing COVID-19 and business conditions will allow us to reopen more of our properties and bring back more of our colleagues as it is appropriate to do so.”

Harrah’s Las Vegas and the gaming floor at Linq would be the next properties in Las Vegas to reopen, with timing based on customer demand. Caesars plans to open its other Las Vegas properties — Bally’s Las Vegas, The Cromwell, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort, and the Rio — and dining amenities based on customer demand.

The Flamingo still touts its new steakhouse, Bugsy & Meyer’s Steakhouse with a vintage look, speakeasy entrance, and homage to the mobsters who opened the Flamingo in 1946 — as opening soon. Chicago chef Lamar Moore becomes the head chef at the restaurant after winning the job on Food Network’s Vegas Chef Prizefight.

Caesars says its will conduct employee temperature checks before each shift, and test employees for COVID-19 before they can return to work. Team members will be required to wear masks, and visitors will also be provided masks and will be strongly encouraged to wear them throughout their visit.

Gov. Steve Sisolak closed all nonessential businesses including casinos on March 17. Right now, Nevada is in phase one of reopening, with dine-in restaurants, including some within casinos, permitted to reopen with restrictions. 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. Nevada is in phase one of reopening businesses.

• Caesars Palace Will Debut First When the State Allows Casinos to Reopen [ELV]

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