Atlantic City casinos reopening date still uncertain for NJ Gov.

Atlantic City’s casinos have suffered historic drops in revenue and laid off tens of thousands of workers since being ordered to close their gambling floors two months ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is slowly taking steps to reopen some businesses in New Jersey, said Thursday he still doesn’t have a date for when Atlantic City’s nine casinos will be allowed to reopen.

“It’s a huge game-changer in our economy and in the lives of literally tens of thousands of people out there,” the governor said during a radio interview on WPG. “I would love nothing more to say we’re ready to go. We’re just not there yet.”

That comes amid zero revenue for the state’s nine casinos, closed indefinitely since March 16. And it’s despite assurances from the Senate President that they can reopen by putting in place health and safety plans drawing upon guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect their patrons and customers.

Casinos, Murphy reiterated, are “an overwhelmingly important employer and an element of our economy.” “Atlantic City and the casinos, in particular, have just barely got back on their feet over the past couple of years from a recession that was over 10 years ago,” he stated Thursday at his daily COVID-19 press briefing in Trenton, as reported by NJBIZ. “A huge slug of these folks … basically all of them are out of work.”

As to reasons for staying closed, Murphy said: “It’s indoors. There’s no ventilation. It’s close proximity, and it’s largely sedentary.” On the plus-side, he added, “they’re large, big footprint,” which allows for social distancing “in a way that a smaller space clearly wouldn’t.” Some of the physical distancing guidelines at beaches and parks, such as reduced capacity, might make sense to implement at casinos, Murphy suggested.

In late April, the Casino Association of New Jersey said it would work with Atlantic City-based AtlantiCare to develop a reopening plan for casinos that would “prioritize the safety and well-being of employees, guests and the community-at-large.” AtlantiCare will share “regional health care metrics, data and forecasts,” and the “protocols and best practices” for AtlantiCare’s own reopening that were the most effective.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd District, has argued that casinos could need months of runway to implement reopening plans before actually starting to resume business. “We’ve got to start listening,” he said during a May 12 interview with NJBIZ. “The sooner you can give guidance, the sooner businesses can start to plan.”

Two bills moving through the state Legislature – Senate Bills 2478 and 2479 – would require the New Jersey Health Department to establish statewide sanitation standards for casinos and hotels, respectively.

The closure of casinos and drop in hotel revenue has led to economic shockwaves across the city and chunks of South Jersey, as has the state-mandated closure on virtually the entire retail, food, leisure and hospitality industries. According to a survey released Thursday by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber, 89 percent of the local businesses interviewed during April and May said they’ve felt some kind of financial pain as a result of the pandemic.