Southern California’s casinos have seen a lot of major developments in 2020 — even amid the pandemic — resort expansions were completed; new restaurants opened; and an entirely new casino was constructed.
Similar changes have happened in Las Vegas amid the pandemic as casino operators resumed construction and openings; revamped their gaming floor policies; and even announced the planned return of shows.
Here’s a look at what’s been happening in Vegas recently:
A new casino opens
The pandemic didn’t stop the opening of a new casino property. Circa Resort & Casino opened on Fremont Street in the city just after midnight on Oct. 28.
The 1.25 million-square-foot property is for adults only. It features an indoor bar spanning 165 feet; a sportsbook with a high definition screen viewable by up to 1,000 people; a pool complex with six temperature-controlled pools and two swim up bars; and a fully-integrated rideshare hub, according to resort news releases.
Restaurants include Barry’s Downtown Prime, a steakhouse with a midcentury vibe; 8 East, a pan-Asian restaurant offering Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai; Victory Burger & Wings Co., a sports bar; Project BBQ, a Carolina-style barbecue restaurant; and Saginaw’s Delicatessen, a deli offering items such as matzo ball soup, latkes and chopped liver. The property also boasts several different bars.
There are two final elements that have yet to open: Circa’s 777-room hotel tower and rooftop lounge, Legacy Club, will open Dec. 28.
Entertainment returns
Shortly after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak raised the capacity for gatherings, MGM said it was working on a plan for how it might bring back its shows.
“We welcome the governor’s decision allowing for the beginning of a return for the entertainment industry in Las Vegas,” said George Kliavkoff, president of Entertainment & Sports for MGM, in a statement to Southern California News Group. “We will take some time to review the specifications of the executive directive and plan for how to best proceed with getting shows back on stage, employees back to work and audiences back in their seats, the way it is supposed to be.”
Casino operators have already begun to bring back entertainment, with some shows still running even during the spike in coronavirus cases as of mid-November.
By Nov. 6, shows had returned to some MGM properties. Audiences were capped at 250 guests with six feet between parties and 25 feet from on-stage performers. Some of the shows that came back include David Copperfield at MGM Grand, Jabbawockeez at MGM Grand Garden Arena and Carrot Top at Luxor.
Caesars Entertainment also brought back some shows, including Absinthe at Caesar’s Palace and Piff the Magic Dragon at Flamingo.
Cirque Du Soleil show closes after 17 years
While some shows have returned to Vegas, others called it quits for good.
The cast and crew of Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” show were told Monday, Nov. 16, that the show was closing after a nearly 17-year-run at New York-New York, according to a news release on Cirque Du Soleil’s website.
Zumanity, which opened in September 2003, ran for more than 7,700 shows and its last performance was on March 14 before it was shut down due to the pandemic.
Guests who have tickets for any performances that were scheduled to happen can get them refunded at their original point of purchase, according to the news release. It says more information is available at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
In a statement in the news release, Kliavkoff said MGM looks forward to sharing plans for new entertainment programming at the New York-New York Theater in the months ahead.
Park MGM becomes first Las Vegas strip casino to go smoke-free
Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas reopened its doors on Sept. 30. It was the last of MGM Resorts’ properties to reopen but also the first Las Vegas strip casino to go smoke-free.
First tribal-operated casino approved for Las Vegas strip
Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, which operates the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, will likely have the first tribal casino presence in the Las Vegas market.
It will operate the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (located at the former site of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino), which will open in January 2021.
Nevada regulators officially approved MGE to operate the casino last month, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
In a July news release, the brand announced its logo for the new casino and had already selected out a general manager and director of marketing.
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