When And How Atlantic City Casinos Will Reopen

Josh Bakan
·4 min read

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — New Jersey casinos can reopen Thursday, and that will have seismic effects on Atlantic City in terms of life and its economy.

Atlantic City casinos have shared plans as they anticipate reopening at 25 percent capacity and mandatory mask wearing. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted Atlantic City's workers and trademark industries.

But the timing of the reopening could work out well for the city, according to Jane Bokunewicz, interim coordinator of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute for Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University.

"Allowing casinos to re-open in time for 4th of July weekend, traditionally one of the busiest of the year, is fantastic news for the casino industry, the employees, the casino customers and the businesses that depend on the casinos," Bokunewicz said.

Atlantic City's casinos made 30 percent of their total net revenue from July through September in the past two years, she says.

Here's how some of Atlantic City's casinos plan to reopen:

Bally's, Caesars and Harrah's Resort

All three will open doors at 10 a.m. Friday. The establishments have rearranged slot machine banks to allow for social distancing and reduced seating to allow for better spacing at table games.

All restaurants and other offerings will operate at reduced capacity in adherence with social distancing practices.

Caesars

  • Dining: Nero’s, Betty’s Back Room, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, Kwi, Morton’s, Café Roma

  • Bars & Lounges: Nero’s Lounge, Toga, 2100 Bar & Lounge, Caesars Beachside Bar, Seven Stars Lounge

  • Casual and Quick Service: Tazza

Harrah's

  • The pool will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

  • Bars & Lounges: X Bar, Eden Lounge, #BarWithNoName

  • Dining: Gordon Ramsay Steak, Coastal Craft, Martorano’s, McCormick & Schmick’s

  • Casual and Quick Service: Tazza, Guy Fieri’s Sammich Joint, Pin-Up Pizza, AC Burger Co., Starbucks

Bally's

  • Dining: Guy Fieri’s Chophouse, Buca di Beppo, Noodle Village, Harry’s Oyster Bar (outdoor dining available)

  • Bars & Lounges: Bally’s Beach Bar (outdoor dining available), L-Bar, Mountain Bar & The Boardwalk Saloon at The Wild Wild West

  • Casual and Quick Service: AC Snack Shack at The Wild Wild West, Dunkin Donuts, Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Walt’s Primo Pizza, Sac O’ Subs

Borgata

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa will reopen July 6. Invitation-only guests can play as early as Thursday. Borgata will initially limit amenities at the beginning.

  • Hotel rooms will open in a limited capacity.

  • Every slot machine will be disabled to promote social distancing. Polycarbonate barriers have been installed at the table games. Poker won't be available during the first phase of reopening.

  • Open eateries will include Angeline by Michael Symon, Old Homestead Steak House, Moneyline Bar & Book, Borgata Beer Garden, Bread + Butter, Borgata Baking Company, Starbucks and The Marketplace.

  • Retail outlets will include Whim, Carrello, Borgata Collections, Misura, Tumi and Carina.

  • The self-parking garage will open, but the surface parking lot will remain closed. Valet parking will be unavailable during the initial reopening.

Borgata also established a safety plan with protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Those include employee screening, temperature checks and COVID-19 specific training. They will administer health screenings to guests upon entry and provide free masks.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Hard Rock will reopen Thursday. All guests and employees will receive temperature checks upon entry. They also implemented a new "Safe + Sound Clean Team," improved the quality of air circulation and partnered with AtlantiCare with focuses on contact tracing, training and telehealth.

The Clean Team, with more than 100 members, will focus especially on the deep cleaning of all gaming surfaces, chips, hotel rooms, restaurants, pools and public areas.

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Plexiglass will be installed at the front desk, cage, wildcard service, sportsbook, box office and select table games. Guests will be required to keep one vacant position between slot machines and table games unless related or together in a group.

The following restaurants will open with social distancing requirements: Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Kuro, Il Mulino, Hard Rock Cafe, Youyu Noodle Bar, Sugar Factory, Flavor Tour and White House Subs.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget will reopen Thursday. They will provide more details about reopening once the state provides further guidance.

Ocean Casino Resort

Ocean Casino Resort will also reopen Thursday. They will increase staff for deep cleaning, provide additional sanitizing stations and place plexiglass barriers at the front desk, players club and cage.

They will also limit slot and table game positions and administer thermal screenings for employees before entering the building.

Resorts Casino Hotel

Resorts reopens Thursday. Check their website for future updates.

Tropicana

Tropicana opens its doors at 8 a.m. Thursday. They will implement player limits for table games and slot machine bangs to allow for social distancing.

They will also place hand-sanitizer dispensers — touchless when possible — throughout the facility.

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This article originally appeared on the Galloway Patch