The Coronavirus outbreak made it feel like a long wait for Las Vegas casinos to open again. But despite a pandemic that is still spreading, the state Gaming Control Board is not reconsidering a requirement for players to wear face masks while at casinos. They only way they would enforce a face mask requirement is if new COVID-19 cases became so bad that they overwhelmed hospitals. Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Morgan said she is not looking to change direction, even as the Southern Nevada Health District’s acting chief health officer issued pleas for business customers to wear masks to protect…

This Week in Gambling reported last week that the mayor of Las Vegas is in a mad rush to reopen The Strip and convention centers. Her comments contradict the guidelines for reopening issued by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, who will ultimately be the authority to sign off on any plan to open the doors of the casinos. The board has a list of procedures in place that businesses should follow before reopening, which include complying with all prescribed local, state and federal COVID-19 heath requirements. Mayor Goodman does not have the power to order Las Vegas’ casinos to reopen….

Former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli knows online gaming as well as anyone. After being appointed to the Board in 2009, Lipparelli eventually was at the forefront of the Silver State’s charge into the Internet gaming business. In late 2011, Nevada became the first state in U.S. history to adopt regulations for online poker. Lipparelli stayed on the Board until September of last year, stepping down because he had chosen not to serve another term. Thanks to leaving his position as a regulator, Lipparelli has returned to the private sector and has been working on a couple of…