Wearing a mask or face covering has become an issue inside and outside of casinos. Regardless of your personal stance, there are new rules about wearing a face covering while gambling in Las Vegas.
Mixed rules on when gamblers should wear a face covering
The new health and safety requirements from the Nevada Gaming Control Board are different depending on the casino. The new rules sometime require gamblers to wear a face cover. Other times gamblers can play without a mask.
The new requirements are as follows:
- Plans must provide for the availability of face masks or cloth face coverings for patrons and guests upon request. Upon entering the gaming establishment, licensees must offer all patrons and guests a face covering or have dedicated signage throughout the establishment notifying patrons that face coverings are available. Licensees must ensure that face coverings are provided upon request
- Licensees must require patrons to wear face coverings at table and card games if there is no barrier, partition, or shield between the dealer and each player. This requirement applies to table and card game players, spectators, and any other person within 6 feet of any table or card game
In other words:
- Casinos must offer masks to all guests visiting as they walk into the property. The casinos must also be able to give guests a mask if requested.
- Blackjack players must wear a face covering at table games that don’t have a plexiglass barrier between players and dealers.
- Blackjack players don’t have to wear a face covering at table games with a plexiglass barrier between players and dealers.
The new face covering requirements also apply to anyone watching someone play blackjack. This change comes as COVID-19 cases are rising in Nevada. The Governor is already hinting that these requirements may become stricter if COVID-19 cases in Nevada continue to rise.
Casinos with plexiglass barriers
Anecdotally, the majority of casino guests aren’t wearing a mask or any other face covering. These customers might want to take their gambling business to casinos that cater to their preferences.
The following Las Vegas casinos have protective plexiglass barriers where guests can play blackjack without wearing a mask or other type of face covering:
- Bellagio
- Cosmopolitan
- El Cortez
- Excalibur
- MGM Grand
- New York-New York
- Wynn (and Encore)
All MGM Resorts casinos have protective barriers. If the requirements remain the same Aria, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay won’t require a mask when they open.
The new mask rules apply to all table games. Poker, craps, and all other table games players (and onlookers) will have to wear a face covering unless the casino has table games with plexiglass barriers.
