The Mohegan Sun is a tribal operated group that has casinos in Connecticut and Atlantic City. The Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment Group property in Connecticut already opened but the group’s Resorts Atlantic City is waiting until the New Jersey governor gives the go-ahead. It is still unclear as to when Atlantic City casinos can reopen, but Governor Phil Murphy did state that July 4 is a pending date. For Resorts, the casino is making the preparations now so they are ready to get started once the green light is given.
Major Changes Ahead
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, major changes are taking place at casinos in AC as well as across the United States and even the world. Operators in this region of the country already began providing their reopening plans, set to create a healthy and safe environment for players and guests.
Visitors to the Resorts Casino should expect restrictions on the gaming floor as well as in other areas such as restaurants. In late May, CEO and president of Resorts Casino Hotel, Mark Giannantonio, stated that the company is working on new operating plans to ensure the property is ready to get back to work.
Extensive cleaning is taking place as well as sanitizing of the casino and the hotel. A new key system was installed at the hotel and the property is working on utilizing a mobile Express check in and out service so that contact between guests and employees is limited.
The brand is currently accepting future reservations for rooms at their hotel and have waived cancellation fees. It should be noted though that because the state does not have a set reopen date, some trips may have to be canceled depending on when they are scheduled for.
Similar Strategy to Mohegan Sun?
Since Resorts is part of Mohegan Gaming, the venue will most likely make the same moves as the Mohegan Sun, the property in Connecticut that reopened on Monday. This property is located on tribal lands, so they were able to reopen without the consent from the state.
Operational changes were made to the Mohegan Sun and it is most likely that the same will be adopted by Resorts. The property decided to turn off every other slot machine to create more space for social distancing. Seating at table games will be arranged in a particular way to provide distance among those playing.
Plexiglass will be temporarily set up at areas where transactions take place. The operator has placed disinfecting wipes on the gaming floor and encourages players to wipe down slot machines as well as chairs and rails before they get started playing.
While the Resorts Casino may adopt some of these measures, they must adhere to guidelines created by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. The regulator will be checking every venue in Atlantic City and making sure that their guidelines are being followed.
While Resorts must wait to reopen their land-based venue, their online gambling operations are in high demand. Resorts Digital was able to generate over $16 million in April from online gaming. This was a new record for the brand and a more than 125% increase when comparing April 2019.
Resorts Digital gained enough ground over the past few months to stay in the second position under the Golden Nugget. The online sector has certainly helped the brand bring in much-needed revenues as the land-based casino has been shut down for months.