Vegas News May 31, 2020
Casinos Open
Businesses in Las Vegas are slowly opening. Phase 2 of the state’s Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan started on Friday. Gyms, bars, spas, and more are allowed to reopen. Of course, most of you are here for the casino biz and the news that casinos open this week!
Most Las Vegas casinos will reopen on Thursday. The opening times vary from 12:01 to 10 am. Vegas Advantage is constantly updating opening times if you’re curious about specifics.
As I mentioned earlier this week, it will take some time before the Las Vegas casino experience returns to what you remember. Having said that, there’s plenty of excitement around the first days of opening. Even a baccarat guy from London is flying in to check out the scene.
Lots of Details, Be Sure To Also See:
Las Vegas Casinos Set To Reopen On June 4
Visiting Las Vegas Casinos Again
Casinos Open This Week!
Everyone has a different opinion about returning to casinos. In a very unscientific poll of TravelZork followers, almost 45% said “YES, ABSOLUTELY would go” to Las Vegas if they had the ability to be here when casinos open on June 4. Just over 45% said that they wouldn’t visit a Vegas casino right away.
I understand and can agree with both thoughts. My opinion changes as often as the wind gusts in Las Vegas right now. I can hear howls outside of my office right now. My circumstances are different from most since I live in Las Vegas. Visiting a casino doesn’t involve flying anywhere.
I’m one of the people Station Casinos talked about during their earnings call last week. I live three miles away from one Station Casinos property (Red Rock) and four miles from another (Palace Station).
Getting to a casino isn’t the problem. In general, I don’t like being around crowds of people. As it relates to visiting a casino this week, I’d rather not be around a bunch of strangers that might have any kind of germs to pass on.
Some Regularly Avoided Crowds
Besides possibly being in the same building as someone with COVID-19 this isn’t much different than before. I’ll be heading out to a few casinos during off-hours to get some pics and videos without the distraction of other people.
My Return To Casinos
I’m not entirely ready to return to the same casino experiences I used to enjoy regularly. I’ll ease my way back into this part of my life. I’ve probably spent way too much time thinking about this but that’s normal for me.
The first casino I plan on visiting will be the last casino I went to before casinos were ordered to close in March. I’ve probably been to Red Rock Casino more than any other in Las Vegas since I moved here. It seems fitting that this is the first casino I visit again.
My current plan is to stop by Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa shortly after I wake up on June 4th. I tend to visit casinos before most people are awake. This should work perfectly since I’m still getting used to seeing other people again. I’ll probably miss the rush of people visiting Red Rock. The people with pent-up excitement will likely visit when they open at 12:01 am.
I’ll visit more casinos after Red Rock. I’m not sure when but I’ll be visiting Bellagio and Cosmopolitan shortly after they open. At some point, I’ll visit The Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, Encore, and probably New York-New York.
Most of my visits to casinos will be a quick walkthrough just to take pics and videos and to see what’s happening. I’ll probably have a few meals in my travels but I don’t see myself gambling. If the casinos wanted to tempt me to play they would send better offers. Free play for $5 to $20 doesn’t move the needle for me.
It’s interesting to see how I’ve changed with casinos being closed. I’ve been gambling in casinos for more than half my life but I have little desire to hit the tables or machines. Again, if a casino offered more than $5 – $20 in free play I’d probably consider spending some quiet time playing video poker or a slot machine. They didn’t so I won’t.
My current desire to gamble is on major US sports like NBA, MLB, football, and even hockey. I can bet on sports from anywhere in Nevada. I don’t need a casino to get down when live sports return to this time zone. There’s only so much Korean baseball I can bet and not watch. I miss betting on sports so much that I watched and wagered on UFC last night.
Keep your eyes Twitter and Instagram for pics and videos when the casinos open this week. Michael and I will both be out and about and have lots to share even when we’re apart.
Casino Loyalty Update
Casino loyalty clubs have been updating their terms of service and offering promotions for guests to return. Here are a few things to make note of:
M Life Rewards: @LasVegasUK pointed out that MGM reduced the number of tier credits needed to attain different tier status.
- Pearl: 20,000 (was 25k)
- Gold: 60,000 (was 75k)
- Platinum: 160,000 (was 200k)
Cosmopolitan: They’re offering a variety of room packages. One of the more interesting deals at The Cosmopolitan is the automatic upgrade to the Sterling level of the Identity loyalty club.
There are two useful benefits for this level – A) One complimentary room night and B) 2x multiplier on machine games. This will make jumping up to a higher tier easier. You can see the difference in levels here.
Caesars Rewards: @justwonone shared a Caesars Rewards Loyalty Program multiplier promo for June. You can get 5x points for tier and reward credits. This seems useful if you plan on visiting a casino this month. You can find more info here.
Quick Hits
Most of the news in and around Las Vegas this week was about casinos reopening. We’ve covered most of that but there are a few more things you may have missed.
- The Henderson Silver Knights are a thing. Read more about the new AHL team here.
- The Fremont Street Experience is reopening on June 3. Read more here.
- The Bellagio Fountain show will have new songs when it reopens. Read more here.
- Local NBC has more info on Phase 2 of Las Vegas reopening if you’re curious. Read more here.
- Caesars Entertainment decided to open Harrah’s next week. Read more here.
- You probably heard about Derek Stevens giving away 2,000 free flights to Las Vegas. This is a win-win as he received lots of publicity and 2,000 people saved money for a future visit to Las Vegas. Read more here.
- You probably knew this already but the newspaper says Circa Resort is still on track to open in December. Read more here.
