“I can keep everyone employed, that’s easy. But then we would just fold up in 45 to 50 days. My employees want me to save the company. I can tell you honestly, people will work in this office for no pay. They want to save the company. Do people want a job for four months, or do they want a job for four weeks?”
—Tilman Fertitta, owner of Landry’s restaurants and the Golden Nugget, who says his companies can last “until the end of the year” if necessary
“They stepped up, like a lot of people are stepping up. Having been a first responder myself, I know how important it is to have this kind of support.”
—Marvin Beatty, spokesman, Greektown Hotel Casino in Detroit, on the decision to open 40 rooms to police, firefighters and EMTs
“MGM has a lot of challenges right now on their plate. It’s one of those situations where if I could take a breather off one element while I figure out others, I’d gladly take a pause.”
—Brendan Bussmann, Global Market Advisors, who says MGM Resorts should take advantage of the opportunity to press pause on its planned Osaka, Japan resort
“We are thankful that we can pay 100 percent of health insurance costs for our team so that they have the exact same coverage, including dependents if applicable, they had before the temporary Covid-19 closure. We look forward to bringing the team back together again as soon as this crisis is over and it is safe.”
—Jared Munoa, president, Pechanga Development Corp., in a release assuring employees their health care benefits are intact for now
“Are they trying to hide the gambling that might be going on? Are they lying to someone else about what might be gambling? Are they wagering or betting more than they planned to wager?”
—Eric Preuss, Iowa Gambling Treatment, who says problem gambling will take different forms during the mass casino shutdown
“I know that these are uncertain and stressful times. We will reopen for business as soon as state officials agree that is safe to do so. For now, please stay focused on your highest priority—keeping yourself, your family and your community safe and healthy.”
—Keith Smith, president and CEO, Boyd Gaming, who says its 25,000 part-time and full-time furloughed workers will be paid through April 10
“We will continue to seek ways to give back to our neighbors who are in need as part of our commitment to help put this unprecedented situation we are all facing behind us.”
—Tony Rodio, CEO, Caesars Entertainment, on the company’s donation of 250,000 pounds of food to food banks and charities, along with medical supplies
“I know what it’s like to not know where your next meal is going to come from or where you’re going to sleep that night. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be successful in business and in my personal life. I never take my blessings for granted.”
—Joe Asher, CEO, William Hill US, on his decision to donate his salary to a foundation for employees of the U.K.-based sportsbook
“What we’re basically saying is let’s preserve cash to pay our people and we, as executives, need to be betting on the future of the company. We have runway, but every day we’re thinking about where we can save money. We wanted to find ways to start saving cash, and you start at the top, not the bottom.”
—Matt Maddox, CEO, Wynn Resorts, on foregoing the remainder of his salary this year in lieu of company stock
“How can a business worth billions be outdone by a corner store worth a few thousand dollars in the bank? Where is the heart? I can assure you that Casino Rama workers and surrounding communities are not going to let this company get away with such ruthlessness.”
—Tshweu Moleme, union representative, Casino Rama in Ontario, on the company’s decision to suspend employees’ health care benefits after April 30
“This is a bittersweet moment for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, as these contributions are made possible by the many individuals who have been integral to the success of our casino, Ilani, which has temporarily ceased operations.”
—William Iyall, chairman, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, on the tribe’s donation of $775 million to charities in Washington State
“It feels like we’ve been dropped off into a new world we’ve never seen before, i.e., in this pandemic and the way my tribe is being treated. With this happening now, this is a direct, hardcore blow to dissolving and disestablishing my tribe.”
—Cedric Cromwell, chairman, Mashpee Wampanoag, on learning the Interior Department had removed 131 acres of land from trust for the Massachusetts tribe
“For far too long, the federal government has adopted policies that take land away from tribes, ignore treaty rights and interfere with tribal management of their own resources.”
—Bernie Sanders, presidential candidate and Vermont senator, decrying the Interior Department’s removal of Mashpee Wampanoag land from federal trust
“Christian evangelists have tried to veer us away from this game, saying that gambling is a sin. But for us, it is a way of keeping in touch with our own culture.”
—Pasah, who runs a teer ticket counter in Meghalaya, India—Teer is a form of gambling that centers around competitive archery
“After the health crisis, we will have to face the economic crisis, and there we must also show our best qualities, an entrepreneurial, innovative character, and a sector that generates employment and wealth.”
—Statement from nine Spanish gaming associations, reassuring employees and each other that the current viral emergency will call forth the best the industry has to offer in terms of resilience and strength
“The industry has massively evolved, with a much larger footprint, and we are able to show what we mean to the economy.”
—Bill Miller, CEO, American Gaming Association, on why gaming was included in the federal CARES Act
“We believe regional gaming markets are more likely to recover faster than destination markets, like Las Vegas, because most customers are able to drive to those properties instead of fly, which reduces the cost of these trips and potential lingering travel fears associated with the virus.”
—S&P report, projecting that the Covid-19 recovery could be local at first
“Americans will rally again behind their destinations of choice. We have proven to be a resilient industry. When you think about gaming, it’s more than just the gaming floor. There’s a full integration that happens at resorts such as hotel, meetings and conventions, restaurants and retail. All of those sectors rebounding should enable our sector to get back on its feet quickly.”
—Casey Clark, senior vice president of strategic communications, American Gaming Association, with a welcome optimistic view
“The tribes are trying a number of things to make the card clubs not be able to exist, destroy local city budgets and cause thousands of people to permanently lose their jobs. We’re going to have an aggressive campaign to make sure it doesn’t pass.”
—Steven Maviglio, of No On the Gambling Power Grab, a group that opposes a California effort to legalize sports betting for tribal casinos and racetracks, but not card clubs
“The idea that the Covid-19 crisis will lead to a boom in betting is just plain wrong. I understand why the prohibitionists and anti-gambling campaigners want to give that impression, but the reality is that operators have been posting warnings to the market as revenues slide dramatically.”
—Michael Dugher, CEO, U.K. Betting and Gaming Council
“Play in your pyjamas.”
—William Hill UK Twitter ad, which has drawn notice for promoting iGaming during the coronavirus shutdown. William Hill says it’s being “extra sensitive” to problem gambling concerns
“Persistence means victory.”
—Qiang Kang, Chinese owner of a Cambodian casino, who says he’s confident Chinese will return to Sihanoukville’s shuttered gaming halls
