Will you need a vaccination to play slot machines at a casino? It’s looking more and more likely! Just a few days after Harrah’s New Orleans became the first casino in America to require proof of a COVID vaccination (or a negative COVID test), other casinos are starting to do the same. This week’s gambling news looks at some interesting developments in Las Vegas, and the major new city where vaccinations for casinos are now mandatory.
On our last show I told you that Harrah’s down in New Orleans had become the first casino in America to require proof of a COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test before they’d even let you in the doors. And this week it looks like more casinos are following their lead… so get ready to show proof of a vaccination before you sit down at your next slot machines!
All casinos in New York City are now requiring people to show evidence that they have received the COVID vaccine before they’re allowed to enter. And starting next month, enforcement of this mandate will begin for all persons over 12 years old. Now, for a moment let’s forget about the obvious question of why a 12 year old would be in a casino, and instead focus on this: After September 13th if you’re caught in a New York casino without a COVID vaccination, you could face a fine of up to $5,000!
Also, you may have heard that MGM Resorts has made vaccinations mandatory for all newly hired employees in the state of Nevada. But actually, that mandate is affecting casino workers in no less than eight states. Casino employees in Mississippi, Massachusetts, Michigan and Maryland… New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and of course Nevada. They all face the same company requirement over the Coronavirus vaccination. And speaking of Nevada and Las Vegas, the Clark County Commission is now considering paying people to get the COVID vaccination, up to $100! For getting the shot! But it’s what the Commissioner had to say next that has people most concerned.
The commissioner is now warning people that soon… very soon… there will be a lot more places in Las Vegas that you cannot visit or work without proof that you’ve been vaccinated. And that may very well include slot machines.
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