In March 2020, casinos in Las Vegas were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The widespread closures resulted in massive unemployment and revenue losses throughout the industry.
Casinos were only given the green light to resume operations in early June, but not all of them offered poker, including Wynn Resorts. Now, after six months of being out of business, the long wait is finally over for Wynn’s poker players as the luxurious casino is set to reopen its poker room on September 30.
Executive Director of Poker Operations at Wynn Las Vegas Ryan Beauregard recently confirmed that they were thrilled to reopen their world-class poker room. The scheduled reopening will take place on September 30 and from then onwards, players will be able to enjoy live poker action seven days a week, 24 hours a day, in a safe and fun environment.
In accordance with health and safety protocols set by the government, Wynn’s poker room will operate at reduced capacity, and will initially allow eight-handed games. The new look tables now have plexiglass dividers to ensure social distancing between players.
Enhanced Safety Measures In Place at Wynn’s
Everyone entering the vicinity will also be required to wear a protective face mask. Chips, cards, chairs, and tables will also be disinfected regularly throughout the day. Each table also come with a hand sanitizer station. The poker room will reopen offering cash games only, but daily tournaments may return soon.
Wynn’s will have to implement more stringent safety protocols within the establishment as a number of its employees have recently tested positive for COVID-19. The casino has gone back to business since June and has been aggressive in conducting random tests of its workers and staff.
Despite health measures in place to curb the virus, 550 of its employees have been infected. But that figure represents just 3.6% of its workforce, and with 15,051 tests conducted, results show that the casino still has a low rate of infection. According to management, the positive cases could have contracted the virus outside the vicinity.
Since it reopened, the casino has been performing tests of up to 700 employees on a two-week interval. The random testing, which is part of their extensive Surveillance Testing Program, identifies positive cases that are asymptomatic. The company has assured everyone that it has been recording a major downward trend since the program began. The company remains committed to providing the safest place for their customers and workers.
Positive Development For Vegas Poker Scene
Meanwhile, another poker room is also opening its doors this week – the one located at Bally’s. The 14-table room at the Caesars-owned property will begin accepting customers on September 25, and will start offering their $1/$2 no-limit hold’em games, which have become a hit among low-stakes players. Seasoned pros will also enjoy an exciting array of games designed for them.
The reopening of Wynn’s poker room is a positive development for the live poker scene in Las Vegas which was greatly impacted by the global health crisis. This indicates that poker players could soon return to some sort of normalcy, with all major rooms now back on their feet, including those at Bellagio, Aria, Golden Nugget, Red Rock, Venetian, and Caesars Palace.
With the addition of the poker room at Wynn’s, there will be a total of 18 rooms operating in Vegas by starting September 30. Before COVID-19, the city was home to 31 casinos that offered live poker. A number of those properties have decided to terminate their live poker operations for the time being.
At Mirage for example, their poker room has been converted into a smoke-free slot area, while the over at Green Valley Ranch, the tables have been removed, with chairs for football fans now taking their place. These establishments are not discounting the possibility that they would soon return to offering live poker, though it’s understood they’d have to wait until everything settles down and people become free to travel again.