Nevada Gaming Board Launches 156 Cases, Face Mask Violations Claimed at Three Casinos

Posted on: July 29, 2020, 11:12h. 

Last updated on: July 29, 2020, 12:07h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has kicked off 156 cases related to non-compliance on the state’s health and safety regulations. The violations occurred since gaming properties began to reopen on June 4 after months of shuttering because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevada looks into mask violations at casinos
Sandra Douglass Morgan, chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, promises proper enforcement of face mask regulations at casinos. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Three of the cases have led to formal complaints getting filed with the Nevada Gaming Commission against casinos. Each relates to the improper wearing of facial coverings.

The Gaming Control Board has never shied away from its duty to strictly regulate licensed gaming, and the same is true for the enforcement of Governor [Steve] Sisolak’s Emergency Directives and the Board’s Health and Safety Policies,” Gaming Board Chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The Gaming Control Board plans to present the cases to the Nevada Gaming Commission. The board conducted more than 10,135 inspections and observations to enforce health and safety rules, the regulatory body said in Tuesday’s statement.?

Trio of Violations

One of the cases that led to formal complaints relates to Hotel Nevada & Gambling Hall in Ely. On July 17, three employees at the venue were allegedly either not wearing facial coverings or not wearing them appropriately, the gaming board said in a complaint.

The same day, three visitors to the casino allegedly failed to wear facial coverings or were wearing them improperly. Workers at the gaming property also failed to properly respond to the guests’ actions, the complaint claims. On July 22, four patrons also allegedly failed to wear facial coverings or wear them properly.

Waldman Investments — doing business as Bowl Incline in Incline Village — was the second gaming property listed in the complaint. At Waldman’s establishments, bartop slot machines were also improperly in service and available for play on July 11, the gaming board claimed

The third venue was listed as C.O.D. Casino Corporation, doing business as COD Casino in Minden. On July 15, four patrons at the slot machines allegedly failed to wear or improperly wore facial coverings. Two other visitors were also not properly wearing facial coverings at the venue that day, the complaint said. The complaint also cited three staff and three patrons without proper facial coverings on July 20.

A COD employee was dismissive when a gaming board agent brought the situation to his/her attention, the board further claimed in a statement.

Coronavirus Cases Escalate

In recent weeks, Nevada has seen an uptick in coronavirus cases.

As of Tuesday, there were 44,936 confirmed coronavirus cases and 759 related deaths in Nevada. Some 1,105 new cases were reported in one day, according to a Tuesday report from KLAS TV, a local station, based on state data.

That jump is the seventh-highest single-day increase for COVID-19 cases in Nevada, the report adds.