Thousands gambled with their health when visiting Las Vegas recently.
Videos and photos showed crowds of people packing into the Las Vegas Strip as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease. Tourists were seen shoulder to shoulder as crowds walked the streets.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed a bill over the weekend that allowed casinos to increase capacity from 35 to 50 percent starting March 15, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
However, that didn’t stop visitors from swinging by the strip, even before the rules changed.
“I took a few pictures to send to my son in Chicago, and I said, ‘I can’t believe there are this many people out,’” Las Vegas resident Laura Amendala told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Most of the photos of the crowds show many wearing face masks. However, employees at the casino were seen approaching maskless people in an effort to encourage them to put one on.
“It’s scary just because mask compliance is an issue,” Amendala said.
Back in March of 2020, casino owners said it wasn’t worth the gamble to keep their businesses open.
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The decision was made to help facilitate social distancing while trying to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
MGM Resorts released information in 2020 that all Las Vegas businesses would temporarily close until further notice.
MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said closing down these casinos became the best option during this crisis. He added that the choice was “for the good of our employees, guests and communities.”
MGM operates the MGM Grand, Aria, Luxor, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, Park MGM, Mirage, and Bellagio resorts in Vegas.
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