Reopening plans for Atlantic City’s nine casinos just got a little more complicated, as Gov. Phil Murphy has imposed new restrictions on indoor dining and the serving of alcohol on the casino floor, as well as a smoking ban.
The surprise announcement, made on Monday, June 29—just days before a July 2 planned reopening—has gambling operators scrambling to meet the new requirements in time for the July 4th weekend. The Borgata Casino Hotel & Spa has decided to delay its planned re-opening. The casino was to host only invited guests for four days over the holiday weekend and open to the general public July 6. But with the new restrictions, those plans have been put on hold, and the casino remains closed until further notice.
In a statement MGM Resorts International, Borgata’s parent company, explained the decision:
“We respect the Governor’s decision to postpone the reopening of indoor dining in New Jersey to protect the public. Given this decision, our property Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City will remain closed. Our guests expect a special experience when they come to our property and if we cannot provide that level of hospitality, we feel it best that we remain closed until such time that the Governor lets us know it is safe to offer food and beverage. The health and safety of our employees and guests are at the center of all that we do, and we regret that, at this time, we are unable to welcome back the thousands of employees who are anxious to return to work. We look forward to a time when it is safe to welcome everyone back.”
Murphy made the decision to suspend indoor dining at a limited capacity over a lack of public adherence to social distancing and face mask policies. The governor has also banned the service of any beverage, including alcohol, on gaming floors or at indoor bars, and has banned smoking.
The news comes as the shore town was gearing up for a return to business for possibly the most important weekend of the season. Murphy ordered casinos closed back in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The recent spike in cases has led to more precautions, including a 14-day quarantine travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for any persons coming in from a state with a high-positive rate of the virus. How the tri-state area will enforce the rule is still not clear.
“All of the casino operators are in the same boat and are still waiting for official guidelines in regards to reopening,” Tom Pohlman, general manager of Golden Nugget, wrote in an email to loyalty program card members. “This is a very fluid situation and we continue to adapt as we receive new information.”
Atlantic City’s casinos are permitted to resume business at 25% capacity on July 2. The reopening schedule for all casinos are as follows:
Golden Nugget, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort, Tropicana Atlantic City and Resorts Atlantic City are scheduled to reopen Thursday, July 2.
Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City will open to invited guests on July 2 before opening their doors to the general public the next day.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa closed until further notice.
