By JOSH RESNEK
Over the Labor Day weekend, Las Vegas Police responded to a large disturbance at the Encore Casino and Hotel on the Strip. About 20 men and women were apparently fighting in the hotel lobby and then the fight spread to the gaming floor, causing a ruckus that in the end, sent shock waves along the length of the Strip, which is right now trying to survive the effects of the pandemic.
At one point, someone apparently tossed a pile of money into the air “making it rain money” causing near pandemonium among those who scurried to pick it up and to put it into their pockets.
Multiple men and women were involved in the fracas, which apparently began when one man confronted another and sucker punched him, and then a fight began,” according to reports in the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper.
“During the same time, another male began swinging a liquor bottle, hitting several persons. Two security officers were struck by unknown males. In the process, a veridoc (identity verification) machine, plants, and stanchions were damaged,” according to a lawsuit filed by Wynn Resorts to sue those responsible for causing violence on their property.
Sixteen people were arrested, and three Wynn guards were sent to the hospital.
Many patrons of the casino who gamble there because they feel safe in the five star environment, were aghast over the goings on, according to reports in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
They told the newspaper’s reporters, “We’re not coming back because we don’t feel safe.”
Some patrons claimed they felt afraid in the elevators, or just walking around outside on the Strip.
Police reported being very busy with emergency calls during the Labor Day weekend.
Why?
Most people interviewed said they were put off by a lower level of clientele staying at the hotel and then gambling inside the casino.
Comments made by several visitors to Encore and told to reporters from Casino.org put it this way:
Said CColorado – “We wanted to relax and have good food while in a happy and different environment. Well, that did not happen. The crowds were terrible, very different. It was as if they were gathering for a riot. Someone here mentioned people on scooters. Yes, we experienced this. They were flying through the hotel lobby and casino… I cannot comprehend why they would think it’s ok to act this way. It was very sad because Las Vegas was one of my favorite destinations. Now I will have to find a new one”
“I’ll never go back to Vegas,” said Uncle Larry. “I’ve never
seen crowds of people, not looking to have fun and gamble, instead looking to get wasted and fight and taunt and disrespect players and dealers. I’ve been to Vegas over 50 times. These types of crowds could never afford a room before. You get what you pay for, or in this case, for the casinos, don’t care what people have to pay for Las Vegas police reported 55 people arrested on the first day of the Labor Day weekend.
The casinos in Las Vegas and in Boston (Everett) are reopened but barely doing what they used to do for business. At Encore, the figures are way off for room rentals, which caused the price for a room to plummet in order to try to fill them.
The lowers prices have caused changes in the type clientele staying at the facility. The people coming to Encore here are more willing to engage in violence and fighting as has been shown recently by a shooting and stabbing, a number of fights in the hotel lobby that spread onto the gaming floor and most recently, at least eight different individuals rented rooms and had large parties in them without facemasks or social distancing.
Encore Everett is suffering from the same problems with a diminished business base of lesser spenders and riff raff.
But for all the difficulties, Wynn Resorts and Encore run great operations.
They can’t be held responsible for the small percentage of trouble makers that arrive wanting to cause mayhem instead of wanting to have a good time.
Every night they operate at optimum, casinos and hotels are like controlled explosions. Liquor, gambling, wine and women, song and food, shows and fun…this is what gives the casino and hotel here the reason to exist.
When the places fill, it is impossible to stop bad things from happening.
That’s the price for the owners of casino properties.
It is also the price the community pays for having the casino in its midst.