This week, the Governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, made the decision to close the over 200 commercial casinos in the state for at least 30 days, in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The decision was certainly not taken lightly, especially because of the economic impact it will cause.

The American Gaming Association predicted on Thursday that over 200,000 people will be made unemployed by the Governor’s decision, and called for the federal government to step in and save the gambling and hospitality businesses across the nation.

“The impacts on our employees, their families, and their communities are staggering and the implications extend far beyond the casino floor,” said the President and Chief Executive Officer of the AGA, Bill Miller. “Leading technology companies that supply the industry and the nearly 350,000 small business employees in the United States that rely on gaming for their livelihood are also feeling the devastating blow of this unprecedented public health crisis.”

Casino employees in Nevada make up over one third of the entire country’s total casino and gaming workforce. A one-month closure of the state’s casinos will see a staggering $4.7 billion in economic activity losses.

Nearly every single one of the commercial casinos and three quarters of the tribal gambling facilities in the United States have closed their doors to the public since the coronavirus spread to the United States.