Nevada accelerates economic restart, but casinos must wait

Nevada’s casinos are no closer to reopening their doors, despite the governor accelerating the state’s post-pandemic economic revival.

On Thursday, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that some state businesses would be allowed to reopen on Saturday, one week ahead of schedule. Sisolak said the advanced timeline was the result of “a downward trend of COVID-19 cases.”

Among the businesses that will be allowed to reopen are barbershops, nail salons and other retail operations that can ensure proper social distancing rules. Restaurants can operate at 50% capacity with tables six feet apart, but their bars must remain closed, as will bars that don’t serve food, along with gyms, spas, bowling alleys and – yes – casinos.

Sisolak said last week that casinos “will not be opening at the start of Phase One,” a process that is expected to last two-to-three weeks with a likely expiration date of May 30. Sisolak said Thursday that he didn’t have a “specific metric” for launching Phase Two, saying it would depend on “benchmarks along the way.”