Covid-19: Russian Ping-Pong Steals the Show, Casino Employees Test Positive

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Aaron Goldstein

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Covid-19: Russian Ping-Pong Steals the Show, Casino Employees Test Positive

The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc throughout the world of global gambling. 

Processing the unemployment claims is resulting in lengthy time periods before qualified applicants are receiving payments. The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) says it is unable to advise those seeking unemployment pay as to when money might be received.

“Russian ping-pong has stolen the show,” said Nick Bogdanovich of the William Hill betting chain. “You can’t even find it streaming anywhere to watch, but people are betting on it.”

It was only weeks ago that sportsbooks were looking forward to their biggest March Madness ever. With sports betting exploding across the country, records would likely have been set at the betting windows and Monday’s scheduled title game would have drawn tens of millions of dollars on both sides, no matter which teams were playing.

Oddsmaker Jay Kornegay would be in the middle of it all at the Westgate Las Vegas, one of the most popular sportsbooks to watch March Madness. But the massive hotel, like all others in Las Vegas, is closed because of the new coronavirus and the huge televisions in the sportsbook are dark.

“It’s very eerie, something you would never think you would see in your lifetime,” Kornegay said. “Sometimes it hits you real hard when you’re walking through the hotel and you don’t see a soul. I can walk through the entire property and not see one human being.”

- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com

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