At the southern end of Las Vegas, the South Point casino wasn’t willing to wait until May 1 to see if Governor Steve Sisolak would re-open gambling facilities. In a letter obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, owner Michael Gaughan announced the furloughing of most employees starting on May 3.
Noting that this decision was being made with the employees best interests in mind, Gaughan encouraged everyone to file for unemployment right away. “By being furloughed, you will be better off,” he wrote. “You will receive more money from both the State and Federal Government than what you are currently receiving from South Point.”
Employees will continue to receive health benefits until July 31, and the company will cover their insurance deductions up until that point. Meanwhile, some workers can continue to work full time, receiving paid time off credits and two square meals a day.
While many will be fighting to file their unemployment claim in the coming days, something Gaughan admitted “can be difficult” at the moment, he promised there will be a job for them when the crisis is over. The catch is, if the off-strip casino doesn’t see peak visitors anytime soon, it may be a while before everyone is re-hired. “Unfortunately, it may take several months to get back to full employment due to the lack of business,” he wrote.
This follows closely after Wynn Resort boss Matt Maddox encouraged Governor Sisolak to re-open casinos on May 1, following the guidelines put out by the White House. Maddox argued that now that the COVID-19 curve has been flattened for the state of Nevada, with 3,728 total infections but less new ones every day, it’s time for the Governor to flatten the economic impact curve and start re-opening businesses.
But as Gaughan pointed out, even if the casino is allowed to re-open in less than two weeks, it is very unlikely tourists will come flooding in right away, as has been the case in Macau after their shutdown was ended. That problem may drag out even longer for an off-strip casino, offering entertainment for the elderly like 1960s teen idols The Duprees and Bobby Rydell.
