On Friday, Station Casinos said that it is planning to resume its operations gradually but this reopening will come with significant layoffs. The company’s decision comes amidst the coronavirus pandemic that led to the shutdown of most casinos since March.

The gradual reopening of premises

The casino giant plans to resume its operations gradually but will continue with “meaningful staffing level reductions” at its Nevada locations, where casinos will open during phase one of their reopening plans. The company will also make staff cuts at its corporate office and make reductions at the resort casinos as well, which will open at a later date.

The first layoffs will begin around the end of this month and the company has already informed workers of the decision in a letter sent Friday. Station has approximately 14,000 workers and it hasn’t specified the exact number of people it will lay off. However, it mentioned that the reopening will be done in phases.

Which casinos will open first?

Station properties- Green Valley Ranch Resort, Boulder Station, Palace Station, Sunset Station, Santa Fe, and Red Rock Resort will be the first properties to reopen alongside the Wildfire division. The management has not specified why it chose these properties to open first. Other properties- The Palms, Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, and Fiesta Henderson will be opened at a later date.

Frank Fetitta III, CEO, and Chairman of Station said in the letter,

“We have tried to retain our entire team. But in the face of this continued uncertainty, we can no longer do so.”

All the employees who will be kept on roll will be paid their regular pay as well as benefits till the end of May. All full-time workers who were laid off will be paid their dues till May 16. The health insurance will also be extended until September 30.

Station and other casino companies have suffered extensively because their properties were shut down across the nation. They now await Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s permission to reopen. The governor said that gaming properties will not be among the first properties to open when non-essential businesses are allowed to start operating.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board will take a call on when to reopen the state’s casinos. Whenever they do, they will reopen with extensive safety and health precautions. For now, the earliest reopening date could be the middle of May.