MGM Resorts Unveils Reopening Plan for Las Vegas Casinos, Hotels

[The Hollywood Reporter, Getty Images] The MGM Grand in Las Vegas

No buffet-style meals, more handwashing, protective masks: The days of gambling like James Bond are numbered in pandemic-era Sin City.

MGM Resorts International on Tuesday unveiled a “seven-point safety plan” to reopen its Las Vegas casinos and hotels.

Expect no more buffet-style meals, plexiglass barriers and handwashing stations on the casino floor, physical distancing at slot machines and fewer players at card tables and digital room keys in hotels. The bottom line: The days of gambling like James Bond in a heated game while people crowd the card table to admire your winnings are a thing of a past.

“Employees will discourage players from standing (except Craps) and guests will be asked not to stand beside or behind players,” the MGM Resorts reopening plan states. MGM Resorts in mid-March shuttered its entertainment properties amid the coronavirus crisis.

The proposed reopening protocols mostly address the safety needs of employees and casino and hotel guests, and do not directly address how the Las Vegas casino operator will protect Hollywood entertainers who perform on its stages.

Other safety measures included in the report are touchless ticketing for entertainment shows, no lineups for hotel arrivals and food ordering and pickup using smartphone apps. “Guests will no longer need to wait in line, if they so choose. Guests can confirm their arrival time, add payments and verify their ID all before setting foot in the lobby,” the MGM Resorts strategy plan reads.

Hotel employees and guests will also for the most part be expected to screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms before they enter properties, as they face “temperature checks” and answering screening questions to get through the front door.

“We ask that guests abide by a similar self-screening protocol prior to arriving and during your stay. If you have reason to believe you may have been exposed to the virus, we strongly urge you to follow CDC guidelines for self-quarantine and not travel to our properties,” the report advises.

And once in hotels, employees will be provided with and required to wear protective masks and gloves, including those counting the casino’s daily takes, or “large volumes of cash.” MGM Resorts earlier reopened its casino properties in Macao, as it now works with Nevada authorities to develop a post-pandemic plan for its U.S. properties.

By Etan Vlessing