Unfazed gamblers, worried showgirls: Las Vegas on edge as coronavirus arrives

LAS VEGAS - In the morning's dark hours, as the desert air stung cool and showgirls were losing their sheen, a crowd cheered at the Venetian when a man put a $20 bill in his mouth and fed it into a slot machine.

Chips rattled on blackjack tables, clubbers sweated on a packed dance floor and friends snapped photos on crowded walkways. Few seemed to notice janitors discreetly spraying disinfectant or the hand sanitizer stations scattered throughout the casino. Gamblers by nature are high risk. They have braced against recessions, rode out unlucky streaks.

And now, in the early days of America's coronavirus outbreak, they are as sanguine as the dealers who take their money. Even with the prospect of the virus settling in, and crowds in coming days and weeks growing thin, Andy Esala, a 34-year-old