Sin City is rapidly becoming a ghost town as service industry workers reveal to DailyMail.com their earrings have been slashed drastically as business is at a standstill.
A few weeks ago, the city was booming with mid-March being one of Las Vegas’ busiest times of the year with spring break, the NCAA basketball tournament and several conventions. But coronavirus has turned America’s 24/7 playground upside down.
Now, casinos sit empty, pools parties have been canceled, shows have been called off and the famous all-you-can eat buffets have mostly closed. The famed Vegas strip and Fountains of Bellagio, which are usually packed elbow-to-elbow, are all but deserted, with only a handful of tourists milling around.
The sudden shuttering of one of America’s top tourist destinations, Las Vegas service industry workers have begun to suffer, as they tell DailyMail.com they are struggling to make ends meet.
Exotic dancer Crystal Martino, 18, said while she wasn’t afraid of catching COVID-19, she is taking extra precautions when dealing with her customers and admitted her earnings have nosedived by $1,300 a night.
Sin City is rapidly becoming a ghost town as service industry workers reveal to DailyMail.com their earrings have been slashed drastically as business is at a standstill
Showgirls Tatiana Vaske, 21, (right) and Yasmeen Rubin, 25, (left) said they used to make $600 a day in tips for posing for pictures with tourists, but now earn $150
Exotic dancer Crystal Martino, 18, said she is taking extra precautions when dealing with her customers and admitted her earnings have nosedived She said: ‘Before the coronavirus scare, I was pulling in about $2K a night, now I’m lucky if I make $300’
A few weeks ago, the city was booming with mid-March being one of Las Vegas’ busiest times of the year with spring break, the NCAA basketball tournament and several conventions. But coronavirus has turned America’s 24/7 playground upside down
Now, casinos sit empty, pools parties have been canceled, shows have been called off and the famous all-you-can eat buffets and top restaurants have mostly closed. The famed Vegas strip and Bellagio fountain, which are usually packed elbow-to-elbow, are all but deserted, with only a handful of tourists milling around
She said: ‘Before the coronavirus scare, I was pulling in about $2,000 a night, now I’m lucky if I make $300. With the lack of conventions and old guys coming into town with their money, our business is hurting.
She added: ‘When I give a private lap dance, I tell the guys I don’t want to be touched.’
Martino said one time she had a customer cough in his hand and then throw several dollars on stage as a tip.
She said to make sure she was safe, she picked up his money with a plastic trash bag and washed his ‘dirty money,’ before she touched it with her bare hands.
Showgirls Tatiana Vaske, 21, and Yasmeen Rubin, 25, told DailyMail.com that since the virus pandemic, their daily earnings have also taken a hit.
They said they used to pull in about $600 a day in tips for posing for pictures with tourists, now they are lucky to make $150.
But still, they said they aren’t too concerned about catching the virus from customers.
‘I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery than catching coronavirus,’ Vaske said. ‘I’m more worried about putting food on my table and paying rent.’
A hotel worker at The Venetian told DailyMail.com that the hotel is at less than 50 percent occupancy, and usually the hotel is at 100 percent at this time of year.
‘Our hotel usually caterers to the conventioneer, so when the conventions cancelled last week our occupancy rate took a nosedive. The coronavirus is going to tank the Las Vegas economy.’
Westin hotel waiter, Marcus Paras said he’s worked in Las Vegas for 12 years and hasn’t experienced anything like this, saying: ‘Our kitchen is closing down today, we are at only 15 percent capacity and 90 percent of those people are British Airway crew, now with the travel ban I’m sure our occupancy rate will drop even further.’
An employee at Caesars Palace said: ‘Things are changing minute by minute here, most of our restaurants are now closed.’
Tourism is the number one industry in Las Vegas, with more than 42 million visitors in 2019 and tourism spending topped $34 billion in 2018, as the city supports more than 234k tourism jobs
MGM Resorts announced it is temporarily closing its Las Vegas hotels and casinos due to the pandemic
The casinos are set to close today with the hotels closing on Tuesday
MGM Resorts operate several hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Grand, The Mirage, New York-New York and the Bellagio among others
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended organizers cancel or postpone events with 50 people or more for the next eight weeks
Local casino worker Esther Imamurar, 48, was out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day weekend with her husband Nelson, 78, said they have some concerns about contracting the virus, but are willing to take the chance.
Esther said she stays away from people who are coughing, but added: ‘You never know who may or may not have the virus, it’s a risk you take by being around other people and added I’m just worried about keeping my job.’
Tourism is the number one industry in Las Vegas, with more than 42 million visitors in 2019 and tourism spending topped $34 billion in 2018, as the city supports more than 234,000 tourism jobs, according to a study by Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended organizers cancel or postpone events with 50 people or more for the next eight weeks, prompting MGM Resorts to announce that it is temporarily closing its Las Vegas hotels and casinos due to the pandemic.
MGM Resorts operate several hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, MGM Grand, The Mirage, New York-New York and the Bellagio among others.
The casinos are set to close today with the hotels closing on Tuesday.
Shortly after, Wynn Las Vegas cancelled its residency shows such as Lionel Richie who was scheduled to perform on March 13 and 14.
Diana Ross’ show, which was set to begin on April 8 at the Encore Theater, has been indefinitely postponed, along with other A-lister shows including, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, the Jonas Brothers and Kelly Clarkson.
Various dining spots around Las Vegas shut
While many states have banned public gatherings and have ordered temporary shutdowns on restaurants and bars, Nevada so far has failed to follow suit
A hotel worker at The Venetian told DailyMail.com that the hotel is at less than 50 percent occupancy, and usually the hotel is at 100 percent at this time of year
Nevada’s governor Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency last Thursday and suggested he may ban mass gatherings to combat the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak, so far, he hasn’t but if he follows suit as many other state governors it could be devastating for the Las Vegas tourism industry
‘Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,’ Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, said in a statement.
‘This is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe, and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus. We will plan to reopen our resorts as soon as it is safe to do so, and we will continue to support our employees, guests, and communities in every way that we can during this period of closure.’
Still, some tourists aren’t detoured from enjoying their time in Vegas.
Simon Harris, 35, from Surrey, England, said he was visiting with his three friends.
He told DailyMail.com: ‘I’m not worried at all about catching the coronavirus, I’m not 70 years old and if I get it, it’s not going to be that big of a deal.’
Harris said he had just arrived in Vegas a day earlier and now because of the impending travel ban, he had to get on a flight back to England or otherwise he may be stuck in the U.S.
Beatriz Sanchez, 25, from New York City, said she had the chance to cancel her trip but wanted to see Vegas for the first time, explaining; ‘It was worth the risk, I love Las Vegas.’
While many states have banned public gatherings and have ordered temporary shutdowns on restaurants and bars, Nevada so far has failed to follow suit.
Nevada’s governor Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency last Thursday and suggested he may ban mass gatherings to combat the spread of the new coronavirus outbreak, so far, he hasn’t but if he follows suit as many other state governors it could be devastating for the Las Vegas tourism industry.