New Jersey Governor Richard Murphy gave the go-ahead for casinos in Atlantic City to reopen on July 2. Several venues were ready to go, but some decided to hold on off getting back to work. The Borgata Casino was set to reopen like its competitors, until the Governor made a last-minute decision to ban indoor dining. The casino felt it was not the right time to reopen, so they remained closed. Now some three weeks after eight of the nine casinos are back in business, the Borgata has announced a reopening date of July 26.
Coming Soon
The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa will host a reopening event for invited guests for three days before opening to the public on July 26. The invite-only option may be a way for the brand to show what they are offering as well as give employees a dry run as to how to handle the new processes following the coronavirus pandemic.
The casino reevaluated their plan to reopen in early July after the governor announced the indoor dining option would not be allowed at this time. They wanted to be sure that the Borgata could offer the best experience for visitors.
Upon reopening, the Borgata will provide new dining opportunities, this time outdoors. They will also have a takeout program connected to fine dining and casual eateries. The casino was disappointed in delaying the reopening process and appreciate the understanding and patience that employees and guests have given them.
Once back to work, the casino will be following mandates of the state that includes mask-wearing as well as keeping the gaming floor at 25% capacity. Social distancing will be practiced throughout including at the slot machines and gaming tables.
Smoking will be prohibited along with eating and drinking on the gaming floor. This is to encourage players to keep their masks in place.
The Water Club of the property will not reopen but the Borgata will use outdoor locations of this section of property to provide additional dining and drink options for guests. To provide an added experience, the Borgata plans to offer an outdoor dining option for top-tier player’s card members.
Trying to Get Back to Normal
With the reopening of the Borgata, all the casinos in Atlantic City will be operational. The casinos are trying to get back to normal as possible, but the experience is certainly different. Players must adhere to certain requirements, which includes wearing a mask. Guests are encouraged to stay home if they are showing symptoms of Covid-19 or have been exposed to someone who has the virus.
The gambling landscape is vastly different and may be for quite some time. The state of New Jersey was one of the first to be hit by the virus and they are some of the first to reopen businesses, including the casinos. While they are welcoming visitors, travelers from other states in the US are unable to visit as they are restricted due to the virus outbreak.
Over 30 states have seen an increase in cases over the past few weeks and have been restricted for traveling in such states as New York to avoid another outbreak in that region. It could be quite some time before we see the gambling industry in the boardwalk town resemble any type of normalcy.