MGM National Harbor Casino Adopts Contactless Strategy During Reopening

Published: 29/06/2020

Reading Time: 3 Min

Image: Shutterstock

MGM National Harbor casino reopens June 29, adopting new health and safety protocols. The Prince George’s County casino will impose coronavirus preventive measures including contactless check-ins, disposable cards, and Plexiglass installation.

More and more casinos reopened doors to clients since late-May, aiming to recover from losses due to prolonged government closure mandate. States allowed the casinos to resume operations, given that they follow guidelines from state health regulators. Casinos in the US shut down in mid-March during the global spread of the deadly virus.

Tribal casinos in many states started the reopening of US casinos. Some operators resumed operations despite opposition from state leaders. Tribal nations have sovereignty, limiting the power of the state over the management of the casinos.

Table of Contents

MGM National Harbor to open at 50 percent capacity

Other states decided to allow the reopening of their gambling industry, following the success of the reopening in Las Vegas. Casinos in Las Vegas started accepting back clients during the first week of June. The state urged the operators to maintain social distancing and sanitation practices inside the gambling venues.

Strict implementation of hygiene and sanitary protocols are advised while the gambling facilities in many states are operating. Initiatives, like the installation of plexiglass and disinfecting areas, are encouraged to ensure that employees and guests are protected. Most of the casinos in many states developed their strategies to protect patrons and employees from transmittable diseases and viruses.

Most casinos started accepting guests at limited capacity. MGM National Harbor announced to operate at 50 percent capacity, opening a third of its rooms to accommodate a limited number of patrons. MGM National Harbor has closed doors to gamblers for more than three months.

The Casino plans to accommodate check-ins using contactless strategies, installing Plexiglass windows in check-in areas, and in other parts of the resort in which social distancing is hard to practice. Disposable baccarat cards will be used during table games to reduce the possibility of transmitting viruses.

Strict implementation of masks

Las Vegas casinos started implementing stringent measures following the increase of coronavirus infection in the previous days. During the first weeks of the reopening, it is observable that the majority of the guests in the Las Vegas Strip are not wearing their face masks. Last week, Nevada’s governor urged everyone to wear masks every time during indoor mass gatherings, like casinos.

The announcement is in response to the increasing frequency of infection in the country. Studies proved that wearing masks and social distancing reduces the possibility of contamination from the deadly disease.

Operators in Las Vegas followed the government mandate and ordered all the properties to strictly implement social distancing and wearing of masks in the gambling facilities. As of June 29, the novel coronavirus infected 2,637,077 Americans, stealing more than 100,000 lives.

Globally, more than 10,000,000 caught the deadly virus, killing not less than half a million people. The number is continuing to rise in the absence of cure and vaccination. The lives of millions are now in the hands of experts who seek cure and vaccination.