Bay Staters will soon be able to play poker in-state again, when MGM Springfield opens its doors to poker players by the end of the year.

If Encore Boston Harbor was to reintroduce poker right now, as some of its guests have demanded, it would require the casino to close other table games because it cannot find enough people to hire as dealers, an executive told the Gaming Commission on Thursday.

If Encore Boston Harbor was to reintroduce poker right now, as some of its guests have demanded, it would require the casino to close other table games because it cannot find enough people to hire as dealers, an executive told the Gaming Commission on Thursday.

As players grow increasingly antsy about the lack of poker at Massachusetts casinos and the vague timeline for a decision on its fate, regulators and lawyers from the Gaming Commission are looking for answers from gaming executives.

When they open June 4, Las Vegas Strip casinos are almost certain to take steps to protect the health of workers and guests.

Las Vegas has become a graveyard for poker rooms, with Clark County casinos shuttering more than 30 rooms over the last decade.

When Las Vegas first unveiled its “What Happens Here, Stays Here” slogan in 2003, it was much easier for tourists to keep their trip under wraps.

Bad news for lovers of Texas Hold ’em, seven-card stud and Omaha Hi-Lo: Hard Rock Casino Rockford is not planning to offer live poker.