Control Board to survey licensees about COVID-19 vaccinations

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has issued a survey to its more than 400 nonrestricted licensees about their employees’ willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

Board Chairman Brin Gibson issued the survey in a notice to licensees late Thursday. The request asks licensees — the largest of the casino gaming operators with more than 15 slot machines — to provide their survey responses by next Thursday.

“The Nevada Gaming Control Board is assisting in the statewide effort to deploy the ‘COVID-19 Vaccination Program: Nevada’s Playbook for Statewide Operations,’” the notice to licensees says.

“This most recent version of the playbook includes Nevada’s gaming industry as part of the state’s ‘Frontline and Essential Workforce.’ To implement this portion of the playbook most effectively, the board is collecting information regarding the willingness of the industry’s workforce to receive vaccinations,” it says.

The board intends to provide the survey results to five districts across the state that are establishing health policies for every county.

The three-question survey asks:

— At this time, do you feel that you have enough information to make a decision regarding whether or not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine? Respondents can answer “Yes,” “No” or “Unsure.”

— What additional information, if any, would MOST increase your willingness to be vaccinated? Respondents can answer, “Information regarding safety and long-term effects, if any, of the vaccines,” “Information regarding effectiveness of the vaccines,” “None. I do not intend to be vaccinated” and “Unsure.”

— How likely are you to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to you? Respondents can answer, “Very likely,” “Somewhat likely,” “Not likely” and “Unsure.”

“While this effort is intended to be a service to the gaming industry, as well as to federal, state and local health officials in planning vaccination programming, the gaming industry is deemed part of the state’s critical economic infrastructure,” the notice says. “Widespread vaccination of the industry’s workforce is essential to the health, safety and prosperity of the industry itself, its workforce, and to state and local government. Therefore, submission of the information is mandatory.”

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.