At midnight Tuesday night, a statewide closure of all non-essential businesses was enacted, and one of the businesses hit hard were the casinos throughout the state of Nevada.
Casinos are known for their glowing neon lights, and the lights were indeed glowing Tuesday night, but instead of flashing, colorful slot machines, the casino floor was eerily lit by glowing blue “Out of Service” messages across every screen of every machine.
This is a historic, unprecedented event, as the casinos have never been forced to close, no matter the disaster. Some Carson City casinos, such as the Casino Fandango, closed ahead of the midnight cut off, shutting down machines by 10 p.m.
The Carson City Nugget, Carson City’s longest continuously running casino, stayed open until the clock struck midnight, catering to the last few fledgling gamblers who were forced to vacate. At midnight, the doors were locked, and the Nugget was closed for the first time in half a century.
All other casino gaming locations, from Max Casino on South Carson to Gold Dust West on East William Street, and the smaller ones in between, are no closed for the time being.
