What many thought could never happen has now hit the one-month mark. The Las Vegas casinos continue to be completely shut down, along with every other casino in the U.S., both in and out of Nevada. Last week marked the expiration of the original closing order, which has been extended to April 30, and the restrictions have been increased, not lessened.

While golf courses were initially exempted from the order, they’ve since been closed, along with basketball, tennis, volleyball and other public game courts; skate parks; churches; and in-home beauty services, including haircuts by an outside stylist. Several casinos are indicating they’re ready to reopen on May 1. However, many experts are predicting that the order will be extended beyond then.

Virgin on schedule: The CEO of Virgin Las Vegas says the conversion from the Hard Rock has been unaffected by the coronavirus crisis. Neither the scope nor the timetable of the project has been altered and plans still call for the resort to reopen at the end of this year.

Buffets in jeopardy: Will the buffets return? That’s a question that many are asking, given the expected changes in protocols in public areas, including restaurants. Though not confirmed, it’s expected the buffets at the Golden Nugget and Treasure Island will not reopen at any point. While a wholesale discontinuance of buffets is unlikely, a reduction in options in the number of options available is almost a certainty.

Question: Why is construction on the big Las Vegas projects allowed to continue?

Answer: Work on the big projects continues because it remains legal to do so. Mainly for economic reasons, these projects have been categorized as “essential” and thus are allowed to remain active. As a result, similar to the Virgin Las Vegas renovation referenced above, most of them appear to remain on schedule.

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