Poker dealers at Wynn Las Vegas will have to get vaccinated or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing they will have to cover out of their own pocket.
All Wynn Employees Must Get Vaccinated
Wynn Las Vegas has issued a compliance order asking all poker dealers in the property to get vaccinated by April 25 or they will have to submit weekly coronavirus testing which the property will not cover expenses for. The company sent a memo to all employees on April 8 specifying the reason behind the decision.
In the memo, the company specifies that no employee who has not taken a weekly COVID-19 test or has been inoculated will be allowed to work on the premises of the casino. The weekly test will cost employees $15 or $60 per month.
The memo was then signed by Wynn Las Vegas and Encore president Marilyn Spiegel which was intended for everyone who works in the company, not just the poker dealers. Naturally, the memo issued mixed reactions from employees and observers.
Spiegel argued that Las Vegas is finally coming back to life and that businesses have to be prepared for the influx of visitors. She has a point as tourism in Las Vegas is finally picking up with casino floors opening up as well as pools and poker rooms now enjoying big crowds.
Next month, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak will allow every local government to set individual COVID-19 rules that better reflect the situation and thus allowing officials to monitor the situation that is unfolding closest to home.
Las Vegas Is Springing Back to Life
However, for Las Vegas to really return back to life it would need the approval of the Nevada Gaming Commission and the Control Board which would only agree to broader reopenings if they see sufficient evidence that businesses are doing their best to protect employees and visitors.
One of the precautions that regulators would expect from casinos, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore included, is to see all employees vaccinated or at least tested on weekly basis to minimize the risk of further infections. However, there is also the potential pitfall that the workforce may refuse to get vaccinated on an expedited schedule.
Presently, poker rooms are working at 50% of their maximum capacity which is a big plus because previous restrictions had them completely shut down or at 25% of their capacity. In fact, poker was the one vertical of gambling to return to some semblance of normality.
Games are still limited to a maximum of eight players and plexiglass dividers are still separating each individual player to guarantee somewhat better safety. Naturally, players have been eager to see these restrictions lifted so as to allow a bigger influx of prize pools back in live poker rooms.
However, this can only happen if regulators have sufficient proof and assurances that this won’t lead to a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
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