A thermal scanner is used to ensure that guests entering Red Rock Resort and Casino for the midnight re-opening celebration do not currently have a fever, Thursday June 4, 2020. The resort and casino is one of many properties in Las Vegas that are reopening for business during phase 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada.
Friday, June 5, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Walking into a casino is going to be different from now on, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a hassle.
Station Casinos reopened many of its properties Thursday, and while the mood inside Red Rock Resort was largely festive and welcoming, the process of entering was a bit unfamiliar. Station properties have installed thermal imaging scans at all entrances, and patrons have to pass a temperature check before they are allowed inside. A high temperature is a common symptom of COVID-19.
It may sound daunting, but the actual process of going through the temperature check did not appear to be much of a hindrance on the first night of reopening. It was a similar drill at other Las Vegas properties, all of whom have enhanced safety and sanitation protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Hundreds of people lined up outside Red Rock, waiting for the doors to open at midnight. Each person filed through a station just inside the entrance where a technician directed them to stand still on a marked spot. The thermal scan then read their temperature from a distance.
Ruby Johnson said she breezed through the scan and that it made her feel safer once inside the casino.
“I thought it was a very good idea,” said Johnson, who was visiting from Salem, Ore. “It took like one second. You stand there, they take your temperature and you’re in.”
People who record a temperature of 100.4 degrees or lower are allowed to enter; patrons who run higher than 100.4 are directed to seek medical care.
A Station Casinos spokesperson couldn't say whether any patrons were denied entry due to the temperature check on Thursday.
It appeared to run smoothly on the first night of reopening. No unwieldy lines formed and there were no technical snags.
Joe Yalda, the vice president of guest experience for Red Rock Resort, said the thermal imaging installation was modeled after similar usage in casinos in Macau.
“We’ve done a lot of trial runs over the last month and we haven’t seen any congestion or long waiting,” Yalda said. “It’s the least invasive process to get through without hindering the guest experience.”
The thermal scan is just the most visible part of new health and safety protocols being instituted at Station Casinos. Employees are required to wear masks and gloves at all times, and dozens of hand-sanitizing stations have been installed on the casino floor. Employees will now regularly clean and disinfect surfaces inside the casino. Guests are advised to practice social distancing.
While the focus on health may make the casino experience different upon reopening, it didn’t seem to be an issue for the people raring to get back to their favorite pastime.
Barbara Gordon, a Summerlin resident, barely noticed the machine taking her temperature on the way in.
“It was simple and fast,” Gordon said. “It didn’t make us feel odd or awkward.”
Minutes after passing her temperature screening, Gordon took a seat at a slot machine and let out a happy squeal when one of her first spins paid out a winner.
“This is my home away from home,” she said, “and I’m glad to be home.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy