Casino operators Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts are promising to do right by their employees even as the COVID-19 pandemic leaves their US casinos locked up tight and their Macau casinos struggling.
Nevada casinos learned Wednesday that their state-ordered shutdown would extend through the entire month of April, dashing hopes of any imminent return to normalcy in this new coronavirus climate. Gambling regulators in other US states that haven’t already extended their own shutdowns are likely to mimic Nevada’s moves in the days and weeks to come.
Wednesday also saw Wynn Resorts announce that it was extending its ‘payroll continuance’ for over 15k furloughed staff in Nevada and Massachusetts by an additional 30 days through May 15. The company took this step “as part of its shared responsibility for the health and safety of its employees, their families and the Las Vegas and Greater Boston communities.”
Wynn senior management, including CEO Matt Maddox, previously announced that they would forego all or some of their usual salaries for the remainder of 2020 in exchange for company shares.