The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- New Mexico Gaming Control Board (State gaming regulator) · New Mexico
- Level
- Sector regulator
- Authority
- NMSA 1978, § 60-2E-7; Public Health Order of Feb. 24, 2021
- Issued
- 2021-02-25 Feb. 25, 2021
- Effective
- 2021-02-25 (as each county's level permitted) (read as 2021-02-25)
- End
- County caps eased through the spring of 2021; statewide reopening July 1, 2021 under the June 30, 2021 Public Health Order (read as 2021-07-01)
- In force
- Feb. 25, 2021 to July 1, 2021
- Quarters
- 2021 Q12021 Q2
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Business closureCapacity limitWorkplace rules
- Addressees
- All New Mexico Gaming Control Board licensees (racetrack casinos, nonprofit gaming operators, bingo and raffle licensees)
- Functions reached
- SF racetrack casino gaming floors closed Mar. 2020 - late Feb./Mar. 2021 (about 340 days), then 25-75 percent by county
- FC nonprofit gaming rooms and bingo
- EMP COVID-Safe Practices plans
- SP racetracks (Sunland Park, Ruidoso Downs, Zia Park, SunRay Park, The Downs at Albuquerque) casino revenue suspended
- Collection
- State gaming and racing regulators AGY-ST-GAMING-RACING
Operative words
Good news, the Public Health Order issued by the New Mexico Department of Health... dated February 24, 2021, as amended, is allowing various businesses to re-open pursuant to color-coded guidelines. The Order states under the 'Red Level - j. Any entity not identified above may operate but may not exceed 25% of the maximum occupancy...'... Agency staff have verified with the Governor's office that all New Mexico Gaming Control Board (NMGCB) Licensees fall under the sections as listed above.... we ask that as soon as your location meets the requirements under the Emergency Public Health Order as amended, and you intend to re-open, that you notify the NMGCB. Your notice to reopen should include your schedule for reopening along with your 'COVID-Safe Practices' plan which will need to be in place and continually enforced until further notice by the Governor.
Enforcement
Public Health Order penalties (§ 12-10A-19); Board monitoring of compliance under § 60-2E-7; licensing and permit obligations
Notes
Establishes the longest State-ordered casino closure in the country outside tribal lands: New Mexico's racetrack casinos were closed for roughly eleven months and reopened at 25-75 percent of occupancy in Q1 2021.