Six years ago on March 17, Nevada’s casino floors went dark as then-Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered all nonessential businesses to close, a move that delivered an immediate shock to Las Vegas and a tourism-dependent economy that would be battered for weeks.
In 2020, St. Patrick’s Day in Las Vegas had been shaping up like any other, with big parties expected. It was a Tuesday, just like this year. But the COVID-19 crisis was already escalating, and the NCAA basketball tournament had been canceled for the first time, dealing a major blow to sports books before the statewide shutdown order arrived.
