In June, with a bit of naysaying, we discussed the future opening of Circa Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. During the current climate of the Coronavirus and Las Vegas suffering through its worst economic droughts in history, we felt that the chances were slim to none that Circa would be open by October. But with the some very hard work and determination, the owners and everyone involved was able to pull off this feat in a spectacular fashion.
What does the Future hold for Circa Casino?
That is the million-dollar question for both the owners, employees, and people of Las Vegas. Opening a new casino/hotel when current ones are at around 40% occupancy is a big challenge. On top of this, all Casinos are limited to 60% occupancy to ward off the spread of the Virus. In other words, at the moment there is a lot of “product” available with demand below what is available.
Circa’s approach will come in two phases. The first phase is the casino which opened in late October encompasses over 8,000 sq. ft. on two floors with around 50 tables and 1,50 slots. Because of the restrictions the casino will not be at full capacity and will be subject to social distancing for the foreseeable future. The opening of the 777-room Hotel which is the tallest building in Downtown Vegas is the second phase which is projected to open in late December right after Christmas and before New Years Eve.
We can all agree that the Circa Hotel/Casino will fully be open by the end of 2020. The big question is whether or not it can sustain the onslaught of the Pandemic and everything associated with it. At a cost of approximately $1 billion, Circa will need to be on the top of its game just to pay its bills and keep the lights on. Unfortunately, this is probably the worst time in the history of Vegas to open such a large and expensive casino/hotel.
Circa was in a precarious situation when the Pandemic started and had no choice but to complete the project. We hope that all the hype is true and that Circa can find a way to weather the Virus and come out the other end in the black. If not, they will at least have some company from the other Mega Casinos that found the partial shutdown too much to handle.
