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Dear friends, Laguna Development Corporation has announced the temporary closure of the Route 66 Casino Hotel for two weeks effective at 5pm MST on Sunday, October 25, 2020. Stay healthy, stay. Route 66 Casino Hotel on Laguna Pueblo has plans to reopen soon. An official announcement is expected on Monday, June 22. “From an operational standpoint, we feel like our casino, restaurants, hotel, everything is ready to go,” said Skip Sayre, chief of sales and marketing for Laguna Development Corp., owned by Laguna Pueblo.

Route 66 Casino Hotel will reopen on 27 June 23 June 2020 The public re-opening at the property in New Mexico will be preceded by a three-day “invitation only” opening for invited guests. After months of closing because of the coronavirus, another New Mexico casino is setting to reopen this weekend. Face masks and social distancing are just so.

Laguna Development Corp has announced that Route 66 Casino Hotel will close for at least the next two weeks, citing a climbing number of Covid-19 cases among employees.

The company which runs the casino for the Pueblo of Laguna said in a news release that most of the employee cases came from exposure outside of work.

The casino closed officially at 5 p.m. Sunday. Route 66 employees will continue to receive pay and benefits during the casino's hiatus, according to a news release.

'The increases in virus infections throughout New Mexico and the increase we saw as a result of mandatory employee testing this past week, encouraged us to exercise an abundance of caution to close down operations,' said Laguna Development Corp. President and CEO Maxine Velasquez in a statement. 'We will thoroughly sanitize and clean the entire Route 66 facility during the closure. We will also remind every employee, their family, and friends to demonstrate Covid-safe practices at home and at work. None of us can let our guard down.”

Velasquez added that the decision to temporarily close the casino was agreed to by Pueblo of Laguna Governor Wilfred Herrera and the Pueblo and its emergency operations command.

“LDC has done an extraordinary job of adhering to the health and safety protocols over the last four months of reduced operations. That is why our positive cases have remained low. However, infections in the region are flaring and our top priority remains protecting the health of our community and doing our part to minimize the spread of the virus,' Herrera said in a statement. 'The Pueblo will continue to work with LDC and other public health agencies to do everything we possibly can to minimize the impact of this pandemic on our employees, guests, and Laguna Pueblo.'

New Mexico announced 732 new Covid-19 cases and nine additional deaths on Monday. About 31% of New Mexico’s 42,586 total positive Covid-19 cases have come since Oct. 1, according to state data.

Route 66 made the decision to reopen in June after it had been shut down since mid-March when New Mexico registered its first positive tests for the coronavirus. The casino opened under conditions that mandated masks, restricted capacity, and visitors having their temperature screened upon entry, among others. The reopening brought back more than 500 of its 746 employees.

Between late June — after it re-opened — and Oct. 22, Laguna said only eight positive cases were detected among employees.
Route 66's decision to temporarily close comes weeks after Santa Ana Star Casino re-opened with similar conditions to Route 66 and Isleta Resort & Casino, the latter of which has been re-open since June.

Sandia Resort & Casino have been closed since mid-March.

The Pueblo of Laguna casinos rank fifth on Albuquerque Business First's List of tribal casinos, with $84.59 million in net win in 2019.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with the latest information.

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As we approach summer and states start to ease restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, casinos are betting they can get gamblers back to the tables. New restrictions for dealing with coronavirus concerns will be in play.

Here’s a look at some of the plans to reopen major gambling meccas across the U.S. and the plans that may be in the cards this summer:

In This Post

Las Vegas

Sin City shut down in mid-March, when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. However, Gov. Steve Sisolak will reopen the state’s casinos on June 4 as long as the trending data regarding coronavirus infections remains consistent.

Ahead of the holiday weekend, I wanted to announce to all Nevadans that I will be holding a press conference on Tuesday, May 26, to discuss the next phase in Nevada’s reopening plan. As long as our data stays consistent, I expect to announce a Phase 2 date for reopening. pic.twitter.com/PzOW3nezWr

— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) May 22, 2020

Read our full guide: A changed Las Vegas prepares to reopen

The shutdown impacted the state’s tourism industry, which directly or indirectly powers one in three jobs in the state. As a result of the quarantine, Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 28.2%.

Regulations will limit casinos to 50% occupancy upon reopening, and operators must implement social-distancing and stringent cleaning measures, according to The Wall Street Journal. Many of the largest brands on the Strip, such as MGM Resorts, have stated that they plan to reopen their properties in phases, based on demand.

In order to reopen to 50% under Phase Two protocols, resorts must submit individual safety plans to the Gaming Control Board in addition to attaining current safety protocols. Recently, MGM Resorts released its “Seven-Point Safety Plan” that it will follow when states allow properties to reopen. The plan gives us a glimpse at how dramatically different casinos will look once they reopen. For starters, say goodbye to buffet-style meals and crowded card tables and hello to temperature checks and face masks.

Las Vegas hotels are becoming bookable for this summer in hopes of reopening in June. However, the selections are limited at the moment.

For instance, you can book a night at Caesars Palace from $99 a night in June.

Route 66 Casino Reopening Buffet

Arizona

Glass shields separate players at Gila River Casino at Wild Horse Pass on the packed reopening day. @reviewjournal#OpenAmerica#gaming#casino#coronaviruspic.twitter.com/e8wH2Nhvlo

— Elizabeth P. Brumley (@EliPagePhoto) May 15, 2020

Arizona’s stay-at-home order expired on Friday May 15, and a few casinos reopened that same day including Gila River’s Lone Butte, Vee Quiva, and Wild Horse Pass casinos, Fort McDowell, and Harrah’s Ak-Chin Pavilion. As you can see from the social media post above, new partitions were installed between gambling ‘stations.’ There are lots of rules patrons are supposed to be following including wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing though it’s unclear how closely those measures are being enforced. Apparently there were lines and big crowds on opening day.

Arizona casinos open Friday with lines to get in. I have a neighbor that is fully prepared to bring his lawn chair out the night before when Vegas opens, like it’s a Black Friday sale. #Vegashttps://t.co/iPmCt1Bnqa

— Bill Krackomberger (@BillKrackman) May 15, 2020

Atlantic City

Based on a promotional email received by The Points Guy himself, Brian Kelly, Atlantic City is planning to reopen to gamblers this summer.

Route 66 Casino Reopening Atlantic City

Many Atlantic City hotels such as the Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean Resort and Harrah’s have opened up bookings starting June 1, 2020. However, the floors will look much different (and emptier) with new guidelines and restrictions. For instance, many restaurants may remain closed and those that are open will likely be operating at significantly reduced capacity. As for shows, no word yet if those will be allowed or if there will be enough demand for them to carry on.

Although some hotels are now bookable starting on June 1, official hard opening dates have not been announced, pending word from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. This means that if you make a reservation now and the hotel has not reopened, your reservation will automatically be canceled and refunded.

In the meantime, hotels are offering reduced rates to draw in guests. For instance, you can book a weeknight stay at many of the properties for as low as $63 throughout the summer.

Weekend pricing is not quite as low, starting at $168 per night.

Additionally, if you’re a member of any of the casino rewards programs, you may be targeted for a special “welcome back” offer like one Brian Kelly received.

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Lake Tahoe

Caesars Entertainment announced that it would begin to open up many of its properties across the U.S. in phases on its Q1 conference call. Lake Tahoe, where two Caesars resorts are located (on the Nevada side), was one of the destinations mentioned on the call.

Nevada entered into a phased reopening it’s calling the “road to recovery,” but the going is slow.

In preparation, casinos and hotels in Lake Tahoe are offering deals to bring in guests. For instance, you can book a night at Harveys Lake Tahoe from $100 a night in mid-June. It’s not clear how much of the property will be reopened by then.

Nearby, the state of California is approaching reopening business by region. Currently, counties in northern California will be among the first in the state to reopen, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom. So if you’re headed to Lake Tahoe, just be aware that not all of the areas on the California side will be open.

Reno

Not too far from Lake Tahoe is Reno, Nevada’s second-largest gambling city.

Nevada has begun phase one of reopening, which includes restaurants, many of which are inside casinos. These restaurants will be allowed to reopen under strict new regulations, but the casino floor will remain closed. When casinos do get the green light, however, occupancy will be reduced by 50% and social-distancing rules will be enforced.

Deadwood, South Dakota

Casinos in Deadwood reopened their doors on May 7 after the City Commission voted to reopen the businesses under new federal, state and local protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the American Gaming Association’s COVID-19 Casino Tracker, 11 of the 52 casinos open nationwide are in Deadwood. The other 41 are tribal-owned casinos. So far, local sources are reporting that the reopenings have gone well.

“We were about 15% or 20% higher than a typical weekend business, which is significant,” said Caleb Arceneaux, CEO of Liv Hospitality in an interview with CNBC.

Casinos have also reopened in nearby states like Montana.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Route 66 Casino Reopening Nyc

Gov. John Bel Edward announced on May 11 that Louisiana casinos would be allowed to open their floors on May 15 at a reduced capacity of 25%. Additionally, new regulations will be enforced by the Gaming Control Board including making sanitation stations available around the casinos, requiring face masks and implementing social-distancing rules.

Although casinos have gotten the green light from the governor, Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans will not allow casinos to reopen in her city. In fact, Cantrell will be enforcing stricter rules largely aimed at stopping the reopening of major businesses, like Harrah’s Casino, according to The Times-Picayune.

In other parts of the state, however, casinos are going ahead with reopening plans. For instance, L’Auberge Lake Charles announced that it will reopen on May 18 under new guidelines. Some of the changes guests will notice are lowered capacity, reduced gaming and limited restaurant options.

The Gulf Coast of Mississippi

Casinos in Mississippi planned to reopen on May 21. The Mississippi Gaming Commission sent out new regulations that casinos will be required to follow, which include limiting occupancy by 50% and barring certain events and tournaments, like VIP Poker Rooms.

Additionally, casinos will have to limit the points of entry so that guests can be properly screened before entering. Part of the screening will include a questionnaire and patrons will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer and wear masks while on the property. There will also be a limit on number of players allowed at table games and six-foot distancing must be maintained at slot machines.

Currently, the going rate for a night at Harrah’s Gulf Coast is about $125 a night throughout June.

Bottom line

People are eager to get out of the house. The success of reopened casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota, proves that. However, long-term success will depend on guests and casinos continuing to follow new safety protocols.

It will be a much slower reopening for big cities like Las Vegas, but casino owners are working their way toward making it safer for everyone.

Route 66 Casino Reopening

Additional reporting by Clint Henderson.

Featured photo by Toms Auzins/robertharding/Getty Images.

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Route 66 Casino Opening

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