Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox is Man with a COVID-19 Plan, Announces Testing Lab

Posted on: October 1, 2020, 02:03h. 

Last updated on: October 1, 2020, 02:47h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox announced today that the casino company is building a COVID-19 testing lab at its Las Vegas Strip property Wynn Las Vegas.

Wynn Resorts Las Vegas coronavirus
Wynn Resorts medical workers test employees on-site in Las Vegas. (Image: Wynn Resorts)

In an opinion piece published today in The Nevada Independent, Maddox says research shows that many potential visitors to Southern Nevada are staying away because of a fear of coming in contact with infected people. “We must alleviate that fear,” the CEO said.

Maddox says that can be accomplished by conducting widespread, fast COVID-19 testing. Wynn Las Vegas, along with the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, is building a coronavirus lab at the Strip casino resort that will be able to conduct thousands of tests daily, with same-day results. Construction is underway.

Maddox says the Wynn/UMC lab will offer employees and guests the most accurate testing center in the United States and will utilize FDA-approved PCR (polymerize chain reaction) technology.

Maddox has led Wynn Resorts since his mentor Steve Wynn fell from the public’s good graces in early 2018 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The billionaire resigned from the company that bears his name in February of that year.

Las Vegas Rebound

No economy relies heavier on tourism than Nevada, and the state’s largest city is naturally reeling in wake of COVID-19.

Visitor volumes remain low, August welcoming just 1.5 million people to Las Vegas — a 57 percent year-over-year decline. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) on the Strip totaled $317.3 million, a 25.1 percent drop from August 2019.

All conventions remain on hold, though that could change in the last three months of the year. This week, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced large venues that can accommodate more than 2,500 people can operate at 10 percent capacity indoors, and smaller venues can host up to 50 percent of their capacity — or 250 people — whichever is less.

Maddox says it takes more than the government to restart Las Vegas.

Hoping our government alone will solve getting Las Vegas back on track is not viable. Hope, as the saying goes, is not a strategy. Instead, community leaders must present science-based options that advance our broader goals to reignite our city,” Maddox declared.

Maddox says a person who is tested in the Wynn/UMC lab will receive their results within hours on a free mobile app. The data is private and with a negative COVID-19 result, will allow the person to enter a show, convention, nightclub, or other crowded space.

“If by chance, someone is infected after they take the test, science tells us that it takes approximately 48 hours for that person to become communicable,” Maddox added of the process.

Test Results

Wynn Resorts disclosed last month that since its two Las Vegas Strip casinos reopened on June 4, 497 employee coronavirus tests have come back positive. But the company says it has seen a significant downward trend in virus positivity rates in recent weeks.

“Wynn Las Vegas has hosted more than 500,000 guests since re-opening in early June. Guests who self-identify with potential exposure or display symptoms are offered in-room testing, and six guests have tested positive,” a company statement detailed.