Thanks to a reversal of a state mandate in Nevada — based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control — players are no longer required to wear face masks in Las Vegas poker rooms. That is, of course, assuming they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (or claim to be).
Last week, Wynn became the first casino in town to ditch the plexiglass dividers on table games and return to full capacity. In doing so, the mega-resort founded by former CEO Steve Wynn sparked a chain reaction that is quickly returning Las Vegas back to its pre-pandemic self.
The CDC on Thursday issued new health guidelines that say fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a face mask in public. With that, the state of Nevada responded by promptly dropping its mask mandate statewide.
Individual businesses may still reserve the right to require that guests and employees continue wearing a face covering, except when eating or drinking. As of Friday afternoon, some stores and restaurants in Las Vegas have ditched the mask mandate, while others haven’t changed a thing just yet.
Where Las Vegas poker rooms stand on face masks
CardsChat News contacted all of the top Las Vegas poker rooms to find out their stance on face masks going forward. All of them told us they are no longer requiring players and dealers to wear face coverings so long as they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
With that said, they also told us they are not permitted to ask customers to show proof of vaccination. The Las Vegas poker rooms we contacted include Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Orleans, Red Rock Resort, South Point, Venetian, and Wynn.
Additionally, most casinos in town are fully opening up without capacity restrictions. Wynn got the ball rolling last week, and now, numerous casinos have followed suit, including Station Casinos, Silverton, MGM Resorts properties, The Strat, Caesars Entertainment properties, and many more.
Slowly but surely, Las Vegas is escaping the pandemic, and it’s coming at the perfect time — right before all the big summer poker events and the 2021 World Series of Poker in the fall.
