Wynn Las Vegas scans random visitors, while Mandalay Bay checks those getting on the guest elevators.
Wynn Las Vegas announced it has started scanning visitors for guns as they enter the casino. The Las Vegas Strip casino changed its policies in response to the mass shooting outside the Mandalay Bay Resort.
At present, two uniformed security guards and a policy officer use metal-detecting wands to check visitors and bags. The security personnel scan visitors at random, so not everyone is scanned.
The New York Daily News speculated the Wynn Las Vegas’s new check-in policy was the first of what could be a sea change in the hotel and casino industries.
Over the years, the leisure industry has hesitated to take security measures which might drive away high-dollar customers. Now, such measures might be a necessity.
Stephen Paddock: The Mandalay Bay Shooter
The Wynn Las Vegas’s new policies were a result of a shooting Sunday night from the 32nd story window of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Stephen Paddock, a 64-year old high roller, shot into a crowd of 22,000 concertgoers, eventually killing 59 people and wounding another 527 bystanders. It was the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
Wynn Las Vegas Security Policies
R.J. Cipriani, a professional card player who is known as “Robin Hood 702” to fans, said of the new policies, “They didn’t want to inconvenience their customer base. I’d rather go through the inconvenience and be checked, and know that when I sit down to play, I’m safe.”
Mr. Cipriani told the Daily News he had been warning casino executives to tighten their security since 9/11. Many have found the idea that Stephen Paddock could sneak dozens of weapons into the Mandalay Bay’s 32nd floor to be disturbing.
“An Abomination of Security”
The fact so many weapons were placed in Paddock’s suite over a 4-day period had a Metro Police spokesman speculating that Stephen Paddock might have had an accomplice. Incredulity led some to spin conspiracy theories about multiple shooters.
R.J. Cipriani had another, more down-to-Earth explanation: that Mandalay Bay staff unwittingly helped carry the weapons to Paddock’s ambush spot. The poker pro said, “I guarantee you that bellhops from the Mandalay carried this guy’s guns up to his room. That’s an abomination of security.”
Casey Winchell Napolitano, a 30-year old visitor whose friend was shot in the chest during the attack, said heightened security was essential.
Napolitano said, “I think everyone needs to get serious because people are crazy. When you go to a hotel you should be screened as if you are going on an airplane — only when you have been screened can you get your room key.”
Mandalay Bay’s Security Procedures
Mandalay Bay stepped up security efforts, though it is not scanning people for weapons. Lamont Brittingham, a 50-year old guest at the Mandalay Bay, said the casino seemed to be emptier than it was 2 years ago, when he last visited the casino. The casino patron said, “Normally there would be a lot people, but I guess with the tragedy, a lot of people went back home or canceled.”
Brittingham said he had not canceled his visit, because the trip was non-refundable. Instead, he pointed to the many uniformed security staff members who were patrolling the hotel. Some would ask for hotel keys before allowing access to the guest elevators.
Mr. Brittingham seemed reassured by all the activity, saying, “I think they got it under control. It’s a lot of police everywhere. You’re supposed to feel safe with the police around.”
Global Gaming Expo Speakers on the Shooting
Speakers at the Global Gaming Expo at the Sands Convention Center speculated on Tuesday on the effects the shooting would have. Those speakers were divided on its impact, with some suggesting the shooting would change the way Las Vegas security was done, while other stating Vegas resorts are too big and no serious change could be made.
Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Union, came down on that side of the argument. Grammas said, “Look at how many entrances there are to these casinos. If you can come up with a good way to do it, I’m for it — but I don’t see how.”
Las Vegas Casino Security
Wynn Resorts is known for its high-end clientele. It might be that the Wynn Las Vegas is responding to the crisis by assuring their VIP patrons that no weapons will be carried onto the premises. Other casinos which appeal to the mass market might not institute the same policies.
Todd Prince of the Las Vegas Review-Journal posted a video on Twitter of the Wynn Las Vegas’s new security procedures, for those prospective visitors considering whether to book a suite there. This is what you can expect to find.
Seems Wynn #LasVegas still figuring out new strategy for scanning bags. Here the work table is taken down, then put back up. @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/JdYTdeSK0i
— Todd Prince (@toddprincetv) October 4, 2017
It is interesting that the Mandalay Bay’s policies of stopping people to check if they have hotel keys would not have stopped Stephen Paddock. Instead of being an outsider trying to harm the customers, Paddock was a cherished guest staying in the casino for free, because he was a high roller. While a high roller who plans mass mayhem is a rare bird, the casino’s new security policies would not have given pause to the last mass shooter.
