Mar 15, 2020
David PurdumESPN Staff Writer
MGM Resorts announced Sunday that it is temporarily closing its Las Vegas properties due to the coronavirus pandemic that is rapidly shutting down the gaming industry across the United States.
MGM Resorts operates 13 hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York-New York and The Mirage, among others. The casino operations will close Monday, followed by the hotels on Tuesday. The properties will remain closed until further notice, the company said in its release.
"Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression," Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said in a statement. "This is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe, and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus. We will plan to reopen our resorts as soon as it is safe to do so, and we will continue to support our employees, guests, and communities in every way that we can during this period of closure."
Normally, mid-March is one of the busiest times of year for Las Vegas. Hotel occupancy peaks during the first week of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and fans regularly line up early in the morning to get spots inside the sportsbooks to watch March Madness. Nevada officials estimate that nearly $400 million was bet on last year's NCAA tournament, with the sportsbooks winning a net $25 million.
The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments were canceled, and the major professional U.S. sports leagues have suspended their seasons. Major League Baseball has halted spring training and pushed back the start of its season. The Masters has been postponed, among other sporting events around the world.
Wynn Las Vegas announced Sunday that it was suspending operations temporarily, and Maryland joined a growing number of states in asking gaming facilities to shut down in an attempt to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
"Individual [casino] properties are making individual decisions," Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said Sunday night. "They have been tasked with the same information regarding social separation. Some of the properties have announced closures. Other properties for the time being have decided to stay open, and we're analyzing this and gathering more information on a day-by-day and hour-by-hour basis."
Dr. David Schwartz, a professor and gaming historian for UNLV, told ESPN in an email that individual casinos have closed in the past, often for regulatory or financial reasons, but he could not recall a widespread closure of Las Vegas casinos.
Also Sunday, Sisolak ordered the closure of all schools in Nevada.
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