Towers Casino Shut Down
The ranks of Las Vegas Strip casino resorts to temporarily shut down their hotel operations continue to swell, with Palazzo being the latest addition on the list. The luxury resort announced it intends to temporarily keep its hotel accommodations closed both on weekdays and weekends.
A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Sands Corporation confirmed the move and explained it with the decline in hotel occupancy on the Las Vegas Strip. According to the spokesperson, the closure of the hotel accommodations will better reflect recent occupancy patterns.
It was the first time the casino resort closed in more than 30 years. Cache Creek was the first casino in Northern California to close, casino officials noted, ahead of California and Yolo County’s. Steve Sisolak's statewide order last Tuesday shutting down casinos and restaurants for 30 days — which police began enforcing Friday — came after health officials reported the state's. The location will shut down all casino and resort operations at 5 p.m. On Thursday, September 24th. The casino is aiming for a tentative reopening date after October 13th, just under 20 days after. Valley Forge Casino Shuts Down Over Coronavirus - Phoenixville, PA - Valley Forge Casino has announced they will follow the recommendations of health officials and shut down for the next two weeks.
Las Vegas visitors will be able to book rooms in the company’s adjoining Venetian tower. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority revealed in October occupancy levels over the weekend were 64%, compared to weekday levels which slumped to 39%.
Most conventions with over 250 visitors continue to steer clear of Sin City as a result of the pandemic. The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, a major tourist attraction in December, decided to move this year from Vegas to the Globe Life Field baseball park in Arlington, Texas.
The Palazzo hotel tower will remain closed for customers until December 23, the spokesperson said. In the meantime, the bars, eateries, and restaurants in the Palazzo will remain operational, including Mott 32, Rosina, Majordomo Meat & Fish, and Electra Cocktail Club. The same goes for the resort’s parking lot and the Grand Canal Shoppes mall. Customers will be able to visit the casino but the latter will operate with reduced table capacity.
Bars and eateries will continue to operate at a 25% capacity until December 15. The possibility of stricter limitations looms over Sin City. Governor Stephen Sisolak said he might impose additional restrictions if the number of new coronavirus cases jumps throughout the Silver State.
Encore and Park MGM Have Also Reduced Hotel Operations
The company’s spokesperson also confirmed employees of the hotel will continue to receive salaries and benefits throughout the hotel shut-down. Casinos in the Silver State reopened for business at the beginning of June with various restrictions in place. A month later, Palazzo announced it will stop accepting hotel reservations during weekdays due to insufficient demand.
Towers Casino Shut Down Unexpectedly
The Palazzo is hardly the only casino resort to suffer the consequences of the pandemic. In mid-October, Encore Las Vegas was forced to cut down on its operating schedule. The casino resort houses over 2,000 rooms but announced it will operate only from Thursdays to Mondays at noon due to poor consumer demand.
The same thing happened to Park MGM, which adjusted its hotel operations due to low occupancy rates during weekdays. Starting November 9, Park MGM announced it will accept reservations for hotel stays only Thursdays through Sundays. Meanwhile, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino will resume its operations on December 22 with reduced dining options and weekend occupations (from Thursdays to Mondays).
The casino floor will serve patrons through the entire week, however. An exception will be made for the holiday season only, with the hotel operating throughout the entire week from December 23, 2020 to January 3, 2021. As of December 8, the number of new coronavirus cases in Clark County, which is home to Las Vegas, reached 10,597, with 1,852 fatal outcomes since the pandemic began.
Despite coronavirus restrictions still in place regarding gambling establishments and other entertainment venues, a casino in Northern California decided to go ahead and reopen. Towers Casino located in Grass Valley posted via social media and their website that they were back in business on Monday. One day later, agents from the state’s Department of Justice raided the facility, shutting them down.
Busting Up Casino Operations:
The incident was made public after several videos were posted on social media by guests and employees of the casino. In one video, an agent of the DOJ says it will not be a permanent closure but an emergency one.
According to Sacbee.com…
Brandt Jeffrey, who is reportedly a poker dealer for the casino based on his Facebook profile, posted two videos earlier in the week, showing about six agents with police vests and surgical masks standing around the poker table. They explained to those onsite that they would have to stop their game and the facility must close.
Towers Casino Shut Down Games
In the video, it appears as though Jamey Robinson, the owner of the casino, is protesting the shutdown by speaking loudly. She states that the raid is unconstitutional. She pulled her mask down while speaking, stating she was shocked by the occurrence.
The owner counts everyone at the Towers Casino and says that with less than 15 people, counting employees and the agents, that the maximum amount is nowhere near being reached. The property is allowed 180 people. She then says the agents are increasing the transmission risk of the virus by coming to the facility from out of town.
Apparently, the Grass Valley Police Department had requested the facility shut down. However, the owner refused. According to the owner, she was cleared to open by the health officials in Nevada County.
When speaking to the agents, the owner is seen asking on the video why the entire property has to shut down. She also operates a bar and restaurant. The agents appear to give staff members a copy of the stay at home order as their answer.