Las Vegas sportsbooks’ plan to ‘beat the spread’ of coronavirus
Beating the spread will take on new meaning Thursday at Las Vegas sportsbooks when the valley’s casinos reopen.
Every book contacted by the Review-Journal has implemented protocols to help ensure the health and safety of customers and employees, and try to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
William Hill will reopen all of its kiosk locations and a select group of full-service retail books, where floor signage with the phrase “Beat the spread, practice physical distancing” will direct bettors in line to stay at least 6 feet apart.
Plexiglass partitions also will be placed at each betting window at multiple books, including the Westgate when it reopens in mid-June (Westgate’s mobile app is open).
“Reopening is all about our guest safety and team member safety,” Westgate sportsbook vice president Jay Kornegay said. “It’s about sanitation, disinfecting and personal hygiene. Everything is going to be very clean.”
Chairs, counters, kiosks and high touch areas will be wiped down as often as possible at the books. Seating will be reduced, and ticket writers will be at every other or every third window to ensure social distancing.
“We’re going to remove about 60 percent of our chairs to practice social distancing, and we’re going to remove every other seat out of the racebook,” Kornegay said.
Betting sheets and pencils will be available at the Westgate only by request at the counter, and customers will be asked to dispose of the pencils after use.
All employees at Station Casinos, South Point, Circa Sports and other books will wear face coverings, and each casino will conduct thermal temperature scans of all hotel guests and employees.
There will be hand sanitizer stations throughout each casino and wipes and face coverings available.
South Point is taking the additional step of spray cleaning its sportsbook, racebook, bingo room and restaurants each night with electrostatic fogging machines.
“It looks like the backpack from ‘Ghostbusters,’” South Point general manager Ryan Growney said. “We’ll go through every night and fog all the rooms down.”
The South Point and Golden Gate sportsbooks will resume being open 24/7 on Thursday.
“We’re certainly excited to open up our doors and get people back on the property,” said Jeff Benson, operations manager for Circa, which operates books at the Golden Gate and D Las Vegas. “Not only for the hotel-casinos but the sportsbooks as well.”
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.
